THRISSUR: The book ‘Ilanjippoomanam Ozhuki Varunnu’ narrates the story of an elanji tree in the compound of Karthyayani Temple at Ayyanthole near here, which had provided shelter and shade to birds and devotees for over one and a half century.
Unable to withstand the onslaught of heavy rains this year, the tree fell down on June 14, and the temple authorities decided to cut and remove it from the compound.
The real story started here. Reading the news of the fallen tree, a Christian priest, who is also the director of Jubilee Mission Medical College, Fr Francis Alapatt, rushed to the temple and suggested re-installation of the fallen tree which the temple authorities welcomed openheartedly.
Enthused by the co-operation offered by the temple authorities, the priest sought the support of local people, an organisation running crane services and a construction company, to undertake the rejuvenation of the elanji tree and the tree was put back on its position on June 30.
The tree was resurrected with the active involvement of the local people belonging to various religions and from all walks of life, members of Ever Green Club of the Medical College.
T S Shamsudeen, who runs a crane service firm, offered free service to lift the tree, while Sobha Group constructed a new foundation around the resurrected tree.
While inaugurating the function held here the other day, Kerala Assembly Speaker K Radhakrishnan said along with upholding communal harmony, the rejuvenation of the tree sent a message to society that while enjoying the fruits of nature, the society was also responsible to protect it.
Kerala High Court judge Justice R Basanth, while releasing the book, said that symbolically the gesture sent across a message that anything fallen could be resurrected.
He said that fallen values could be resurrected with the joint effort led by men with a spark of humanity like Francis Alapatt.