A study reports that a banyan tree in Munger, Bihar, is approximately 700 years old, making it the oldest banyan tree with an accurately determined age, according to the outlets. Swarajya describes the tree in Munger’s context and says the age makes it the oldest “accurately dated” banyan identified so far. NDTV similarly reports the discovery, noting that the research provides a more reliable scientific approach to dating tropical heritage trees. The study’s central claim is that it introduces a method that can estimate the age of such trees with greater confidence than earlier approaches, rather than relying on less precise historical or observational records. Both sources present the finding as a significant step for understanding the age of long-lived tropical trees. They also link the work to broader conservation and heritage preservation efforts, suggesting that better dating techniques can help prioritize protection and support scientific and cultural documentation of historic trees. The reported estimate centers on an age of around 700 years and frames the result as both a botanical milestone and a methodological advancement.