My grandfather reprimanded my father: “Who told you to buy a piece of land in this forest area? The peepal tree and the living goddess beneath it indicate the fringe of the town.” Fifty one years ago, my father constructed his dream home. It is now at the epicentre of our town. Of course, the woodland has been lost to the concrete jungle, but not the lone peepal tree. The deciduous tree, standing tall with glory, is my childhood favourite. The chirping of birds, the rustling of leaves and the clang of bells of the temple beneath it used to make the atmosphere vibrant. When the tree shed its leaves during March and April, we saw the birds flying to the nearby Ashoka and Gulmohar trees, which have now succumbed to road extension.
The peepal tree has given shelter to many. During my childhood, I used to run to its shade to listen to the snake charmer. He used to start his show by opening the basket and in his creaky voice would cry, “Arey baaboo baanamali… (Fondly calling his pet snake) no, no, no, you can’t bite me, in my hand, I have powerful medicinal roots. These roots will save me from all kinds of snakebites.” He successfully sold those roots too.
Nomads used to live under the tree for a few days. Their job was to melt old aluminium utensils and make new items. As kids we enjoyed watching the old utensils turn red and metamorphose into new
shining utensils, just like the peepal tree with its new leaves in April.
Once during my college days, I saw one of my seniors standing underneath it and watching its crown. What was he doing? At that moment, a leaf was falling down and he, like a fielder on a cricket ground, caught it. He said, “Catching a falling leaf from peepal brings good omen.”
During my last trip home, I visited the tea shop near the tree. Surprisingly, I saw the college senior after around 20 years. He told me that he is a senior bank probationary officer. I was glad. At the same time I saw a man carrying utensils in a moped. He was one of the nomads.
And it was as though the peepal tree was telling me: “Don’t worry, time will change. An urban forest will soon come up. To get the planning approval, each house will have to plant a tree. The golden days will be back.”
Anil Kumar Patnaik
Email: anilpatnaik8@gmail.com