Kaniar

Bauhinia purpurea is a middle-sized slender deciduous tree. It is a densely branched and foliaceous tree with a rounded crown attaining a height of 10 meters.

The bark of Bauhinia purpurea is smooth or slightly fissured and scaly. The bark is ash-grey or brown coloured with longitudinal short dark marks.
The heart-wood is brown, hard and durable.

The leaf of Bauhinia purpurea is wider than long (the blade is about 5-12 cm long and 6-14 cm wide). The leaf is formed of twin leaflets connate about half way.The leaf is deeply divided into two lobes sometimes overlapping and making the characteristic "camel foot" shape.
The leaf is 11-13-nerved, thin and coriaceous with obtuse or slightly tapering apex and cordate base. The margin is entire. The upper side of the leaf is dark green coloured and the bottom is light-green.
The petiole is 3 to 4 cm long with a triangular, hairy and 2-3 mm long stipule.

The inflorescences of Bauhinia purpurea are terminal or axillary short and few-flowered racemes.
The flowers are 6 to 10 cm across.
The calyx is tubular and this tube is turbinate and coriaceous. It is erupted by the corolla along one side when the flower fully expanding. The calyx split into 2 valves, showing a division into 5 teeth (5-7 mm long).
The lower tubular portion of the calyx is about 1.5 cm long and on the upper portion (or limb) is 3-3.5 cm long.
The corolla is rose to pink and composed of 5 petals. The petals are entire, oblanceolate with a long claw (narrow at the base and apex obtuse). The petals are 4 to 7 cm long and 1 to 1.7 cm wide with a distinct central vein (midrib) and fine straight lateral veins. The fertile stamens are free, usually 3 (occasionally 4), slightly shorter than the petals. The rose-coloured and glabrous filaments are 3.5 to 4.5 cm long and the anthers are oblong and about 7 mm long and 2 mm wide. There are some filiform staminodes about 1 cm long.
The ovary is about 1.5 cm, compressed and grooved. The pistil is long (5-6 cm long) and oblique.
The pedicel is about 2 cm long.
The flowers are fragrant.
The buds are oblong or obovoid, with an apex obtuse, 3-4 cm long and 0.5-0.8 cm wide. These buds are strongly 5-ribbed, green coulored with white or light green longitudinal stripes.

The fruit of Bauhinia purpruea is a pod.
This compressed and oblong pod is 15 to 35 cm long and 1 to 2.5 cm wide.
The apex is horned and it is narrow at base. 
This pod is brownish with a tomentose stalk.
The ripe dry fruits burst and scatter the seeds.

The seeds of Bauhinia purpurea are oblong or ovoid and flat, about 12-20 mm in diameter and 1-2 mm thick.
Each pod contains 10 to 15 seeds.
The seeds develop rapidly and trees in flower may already show numerous green pods.

The beautiful flowers of Bauhinia purpurea are used for decorative purposes.

The leaves of Bauhinia purpurea are given as fodder to cattle.

The hardwood of Bauhinia purpurea is used for agriculture implements and for buildings.

The bark is used for dyeing and tanning and it also yields fibres.

The flower buds of Bauhinia purpurea are made into curries and pickles.

The flower buds and young pods are tasty when they are cooked as vegetables.

The tender leaves are eaten as vegetables and the seeds are eaten raw and roasted.

Source : Edible Forest Foods of Tribals in South India, P. Rajyalakshmi

The flowers of Bauhinia purpurea are laxative.

A paste of the bark mixed with flowers and rice water is used to treat boils and abscesses. (T.N. Mukerji)

The flower buds and flowers, fried in purified butter, are given to patients suffering from dysentery and an extract of stems is used internally and externally for fractured bones. (C.P. Khare)

The bark of the stem is said to be a remedy for diarrhea (acts as an astringent). A decocoction of this astringent bark is also recommended to wash ulcers. (U.C. Dutt)

The bark of the underground root is poisonous even in a small quantity. (Blatter & Millard)