VILLUPURAM: The villagers of the North Railway Colony here have decided to construct a temple around a Neem tree that the villagers claimed exuded ‘sweet milk’ on Friday morning.
A temporary temple has already come up at the place, believed to have strong spiritual powers. Many devotees are crowding the place for blessings of the tree.
On Friday morning Lakshmi (50) of a resident of the north railway colony saw sweet milk flowing out of the old neem tree and alerted the villagers.
Recalling an earlier story woven round the tree, Lakshmi said that in 1979 during the local Putthumarriamman temple consecration a local priest, who the villagers believed had the spirit of lord Muneeswaran, asked the people to build a Muneeswaran temple at that spot.
However, the locals, mostly railway staff, felt that the temple work would affect their daily life and objected to the proposed temple.
On Friday as soon as the news of the milk flow spread devotees crowded round the tree and performed several religious rituals.
Devotion poured out at the venue, as some even assumed the tree to be an incarnation of goddess Seelliamman and started worshipping the tree.
Meanwhile, looking at this issue from a scientific angle, T Kapil Raj (ME environmental management) said that the milk discharge was found on ‘wounded’ trees.
However, throwing scientific reasoning to the winds, the residents have decided to go ahead with their plan and build a Selliamman temple at the spot.