Entering Haleakala Crater, the enormous mouth of Maui’s largest volcano, in the Hawaiian Islands, feels like an exercise in sensory deprivation. At the crater floor, a desolate expanse of twisted, dried lava reached after a two-hour trip down a trail carved into its wall, the silence is absolute. Not a breath of wind. No passing insects. No bird songs.

The banyan tree in Lahaina was planted on April 24, 1873, in Lahaina to mark the 50th anniversary of the arrival of first American Protestant mission. The banyan tree is not only the largest in the state but also in the United States. The tree was a gift from missionaries in India. A mere 8 feet when planted, it has grown to a height of about 60 feet and has rooted into 16 major trunks, apart from the main trunk, with the canopy spread over an area of about 0.66 acres.