A few days back an old tree in the Jogging Park had fallen due to heavy rains. Luckily it fell outwards, away from the walking track and also it did not stop the traffic on the narrow road on the other side. Mr. Sharma who is regular in that park saw the fallen tree and felt bad. The sky in that area had opened up. During the walk he met Mr. Shah, who is in charge of the maintenance of the garden.

Mr. Sharma: Mr. Shah what do you want to do with this fallen tree? I am sure if lifted up it would survive.
Mr. Shah: Yes it will. I have asked the municipal authorities about it. But they said it is an engineering job, because a large crane will be required to lift it and also it will have to be given adequate supports. It may take some time.
Mr. Sharma: Oh, but that’s fine.

10 days later Mr. Sharma entered the park and found that the tree bark has been chopped off and entire wood has been taken away. Mr. Sharma felt the smooth sawed off cut of the fallen tree. He felt a little surprised that in place of replanting the tree has been disposed off. Just then Mr. Shah arrived.

Mr. Sharma: Sir what happened? This tree was to be replanted!
Mr. Shah: Yes, but in my absence the municipal people came and took it away.
Mr. Sharma: Oh!
Mr. Shah: If they had to do what was promised then they would be spending from their resources to save it; but by taking away the wood it becomes a source of resource for them.
Mr. Sharma: (looks blankly)
Mr. Shah: It was good wood. They must have sold it.
Mr. Sharma: What can we do now!
Mr. Shah: I am finding out from some agriculturists and horticulturists to replant this 3 ft stub now. I will shift it a bit and it will grow back.
Mr. Sharma: I know of a banyan fallen tree in Pune which was 100 ft tall and 90 years old. But some how many right agencies came together, chopped of extra weight of the tree and lifted it back into its large hole of its roots.
Mr. Shah: Oh it was a banyan tree?
Mr. Sharma: Yes. That tree was older than Prabhat Studios of V. Shantaram!
Mr. Shah: I know of three biggest banyan trees in India and have seen them all.
Mr. Sharma: Is one of them at the theosophical society at the Tamil Nadu?
Mr. Shah: Yes that is the biggest one. Many years back in a cyclone many of its parts got uprooted. But the authorities contacted the competent scientists, made the funds available and replanted all of them.
Mr. Sharma: Oh I thought if a banyan tree is allowed to grow more trees from its hanging roots then it is not possible for it to fall.
Mr. Shah: Yes, but perhaps that was a very big cyclone. Any way the second big tree is in Gujarat called Kabir Wad, because it is said that Kabir had visited that area sometime. And the third one is in botanical gardens, Kolkata.
Mr. Sharma: The biggest banyan tree that I have seen is in Khusro Bagh at Allahabad. It was in an area of 500 meter radius. And at that stage too it was not known which one was the original tree.
Mr. Shah: The tree In Tamil Nadu is in more than 10 km area.
Mr. Sharma: Oops that’s huge!
Mr. Shah: Yes it is.
Mr. Sharma: I was quite fond of this tree.
Mr. Shah: Really? Many times I hug the trees. It gives me great satisfaction.
Mr. Sharma: I too do it, but for me that is a spiritual experience. During a spiritual camp, we were given this exercise of hugging a tree and asking the tree ‘how was it feeling?’ It is quite a weird experience.
Mr. Shah: I am sure.
Mr. Sharma: OK Mr. Shah, I will carry on with my walk.
Mr. Shah: Nice talking to you.
Mr. Sharma: Same here sir.