a 250YO Ficus

While browsing Google Maps around Dharwad, I happened to notice a spot marked as "250 years old Banyan tree." A user had uploaded a few pictures and a video of the tree. The tree looked huge and curiosity took over. The spot was under 5 km from my place, on the eastern side, situated in black soil fields. I decided to go there by cycle.

May 5, 2023. I left home around 5-40 am. The route passed through several housing layouts behind JSS campus and enters the rural part. The route shown on Google Maps was accessible except for one part. Early morning air was refreshing, no traffic on the road, it was peaceful. The tree is about a 100 meters from the road, a dirt path went right upto the tree.

The tree is situated in a private property. Letting the grow bigger in agricultural land was a noble gesture by the land owner. The tree trunk is surrounded by several aerial roots which have transformed into several trunks. The leaves were oval shaped and velvety. Its a Ficus. Oddly I couldn't hear any birds in the tree.

Meanwhile, Sun had just risen over the horizon.

The little structure below the tree seems like a house of the land owner. Bottles and other trash lay in a pile next to the wall. Looks like this house is a late evening meeting joint. I think the previous owners of this land had larger holdings hence they let the tree grow. As the property was passed down from generation to generation, the area reduced. This building here seems like a recent construction, probably the owner is a young chap with less regard for Nature. Had the owner cared for the tree, that building wouldn't be sitting there. 

Also with changes in agricultural practices, oxen have made way for tractors. Tractors damage aerial roots which in turn affects the tree's expansion. I feel this tree may not grow further unless human activities around the tree's base is banned.

Remembering the Big Banyan Tree near Bengaluru... I saw it first early 80s. We had walked under the tree's branches, touching its countless aerial roots spread over four acres. In the 90s the tree was pretty much the same, we had noticed a few dying trunks. Late 90s a fence was erected along the perimeter. Ideally there should've been a buffer space between the tree's edge and the fence. The buffer space might have let the tree expand further. Sadly, most officials in-charge of tree protection cannot visualize the future and take action which serves the purpose for the day. I hope, one day humans become caring about trees, especially the trees which have been mentioned in ancient Hindu legends and scriptures.

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