The rain that caused havoc in Bangalore recently took the lives of several trees. But one tree was quite special. The peepul tree in the temple compound near my house was a sielent witness to generations of people. it had stood majestically for more than a hundred and fifty and had endured the test of time. it had seen the city grow probably from a small hamlet when it was a sapling to the bustling over crowded market that is today.
At its feet had been ancient shrines of the snake god built on a huge pedestal, where the pious had expressed their faith in the devine for decades.
The tree had also been home to plenty of birds and squirrels.Music concerts, discourses and
several rituals had been held in the vast shade of that it provided. It used to act as a natural
shelter during festivals when lunch would be served out-doors. With the help of the multi-
storeyed building, it appeared to stand with imperial dignity like a towering fortress, until the ill-
fated night.
The heavy rains and tormenting winds took a toll on the strength of the main trunk which
started to slit, breaking the juggernaut structure into two halves. The broken halves started to
move at a very slow pace giving plenty of time to evacuate people from the temple premises. The enormous trunk with all its branches slowly descended without harming any creature living on
the branches.Not even a single building was damaged.It died in great solemnity. Only now does
everyone realise the majestic tree's worth and the splendour it added to the ambience of the
temple.
The place now looks bare, with the naked sky visible and the sun mercilessly beating down from
above. one now realises the presence of the temple which was once camouflaged by the holy tree amidst the din and bustle.
I always wonder if it never could spoken, what the tales that it would have narrated would have
been the stories of people who went around it in devotion and faith the games that children played n the shade the devotees who rested, the memorable incidents that took place in its presence the changes in the surroundings....!
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( அன்று மின் தடை இல்லாதபொழுதில் வெளியிடம் வந்து வேறுமொழியில் எழுதவேண்டிவந்துவிட்டது!!!)
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ஒரே ஏரியாங்கறதால, ஒரு உள்ளேனய்யா மட்டும் போட்டுக்கிறேன். :-)
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