The tree is believed to be more than 400-years-old. The tree is supported by
prop roots after the main trunk fell off, and the roots death in around 2000 due to natural causes. Another report stated that the trunk and roots of the tree contracted a disease sometime in the 2000s. The tree continued to grow in size and had to be pruned multiple times during this time after commuters complained of disturbance by the branches. Parts of the tree fell off also in the 2020s due to heavy rainfall, strong winds and
soil erosion. In 2019, an expert committee headed by an environmentalist, A. N. Yellappa Reddy, was formed to prepare a detailed report for the tree and site's development. In 2020, Karnataka's State's Department of Horticulture and Tourism, which maintains the tree, spent 1.5
crore to provide basic amenities at the site for tourists, which included 1 crore for the development of the tree. "[I]nfrastructure for the growth of prop roots" was provided "by removing all the hurdles and also dug up pits for harvesting rainwater." In 2022, treatment for
arbuscular mycorrhiza was suggested by the Big Banyan Tree Committee, formed to ensure its welfare. The committee also suggested that an additional be acquired to make space for its growth. The present crown of the tree has a circumference of , and has 1,359 prop roots, 811 of which touch the ground and 548 hang 10-15 feet above the ground. The girth of each root varies from to . ==Tourism==