BENGALURU: A portion of the Big Banyan tree fell late Sunday night due to heavy rainfall, strong winds and soil erosion. But even on Wednesday, Karnataka forest and horticulture officials are finding it difficult to clear the area of the fallen branches.
The reason is quirky: The banyan tree holds religious and emotional value among the people. “Hence, we are finding it difficult to get people to axe the tree into logs and auction the wood, as there are few or no takers,” said a horticulture official. As per procedure, the horticulture department had written to the forest department to assess the value of the wood, and get it auctioned.
A senior horticulture official said this is not the first time a portion of the tree has fallen due to age, but this time it’s because of bad weather, due to which many trees in the vicinity have also fallen. Big Banyan Tree, popularly called Dodda Alada Mara, is over 400 years old and spread across three acres in Ramohalli, 28km from the city centre. It is a popular tourist and religious destination.
“A portion of the tree on the right side from the entrance has fallen. Though soil protection and fencing work was being done, little could be done due to weather conditions. Apart from the main tree trunk, there are 60 other trunks. While people have been stopped from performing puja to the tree, no restrictions have been placed on the Munishwara temple on the premises,” the official said.
A team of officials from the horticulture department head office in Bengaluru is scheduled to visit the site on Thursday morning to assess the loss and decide on the next course of action. In the meantime, tourists and citizens are rushing to see both its beauty and damage.