yet again ... getting lost ... then enjoying self-discovery ...

Pal pal peepal  No theory, no gyaan comes to mind as I stand and look at this tree each time i visit CHITS The only line that does is Majrooh Sultanpuri's classic bahon me chalo aao And it is as stunning from the 'other' side too Previous posts on trees Pakhad Peepal Campus trees Peepal in Banaras Banyan in Banaras Akshay Vat

Some spots are special The other day, I was left wondering all of a sudden Why isn't this the logo for our school Peepal, Ganga, Dufferin Bridge, walk-path, the hour of cowdust And Yogesh's classic from Anand   कहीं दूर जब दिन ढल जाये  सांज की दुल्हन बदन चुराए  चुपके से आये  As carpets and locations go, this will have few parallels Leaves move towards the river, the river moves towards the sea,  Does it also want to meet the sky?  Indivar's lyrics from Anokhi Raat  come to the fore ओह रे ताल मिले नदी के जल में नदी मिले सागर में सागर मिले कौन से जल में कोई जाने ना The branches dance with grace, happiness and abandon They remind of Shailendra's classic from Madhumati ये गोरी नदियों का  चलना  उछलकर की जैसे अल्हड चले पि से मिल कर More about the spot and the tree in another season 

There is something about Banyans  The place I grew up at was named after Banyans - Vadodara - Vad being Gujarati for the Banyan Banaras too has some stunning ones  And, of course, I am not the only one enamoured by these This awe inspiring one at the gate of the CIHTS at Sarnath "जैसे मुझे जानता हो बरसों से देखो, उस दढ़ियल बरगद को देखो मुझे देखा तो कैसे लपका चला आ रहा है मेरी तरफ़" Kedar Nath Singh These at the BHU campus  This a grand presence  This one sneaking up amidst the bricks along with a Peepal , both towered by a Mango  "बरगद के नीचे चबूतरे पर  रेंगता कीड़ा सर उठाकर  देखता है : एक पत्ता और गिरा।"   Ashok Vajpeyi These at the KFI campus at Rajghat  An elephant herd?  A raptor's talons? "मेरे रास्ते में एक मोड़ था और उस मोड़ पर पेड़ था एक बरगद का  ऊंचा घना जिस के साये में  मेरा  बहुत वक़्त बीता है लेकिन हमेशा यही मैं ने सोचा  कि रस्ते में यह मोड़ ही इस लिए है  कि यह पेड़ है" Javed Akhtar The final o...

Peepal along the Ghats   The Ghats of Banaras boast not just of temples, akharas, steps ( and more steps ), hotels ( and so on ) but also trees. Here too, like at many other places, the Peepal stands out.  Right from the north at the Krishnamurti Foundation India's campus to the temple at Tulsi Ghat ( abutting Assi ) - the Peepal registers its presence along the Ghats.   Gaay Ghat  The early morning light makes the Ghats more special!  A light which is difficult for mortals like me to capture in clicks or words! Swimming camps used to be organized here ( during summers ) before masks came to our lives! Hanuman Garhi Ghat Two Peepal's stand next to each other at the Akhara!  Do they also join the Akhara proceedings I once wondered! This Ghat is the point we can walk up to ( from Rajghat ) when the water level is high! Bundi Parkota Ghat  This is where we crane our necks to admire the Peepal! Where does the tree gets its food and water from - a colleague...

The endearing presence of Pakhad trees A slightly edited version of this piece finds place in Spectrum here . Thanks are due to the team at Deccan Herald. Dheeraj Rathore, Kiran Keswani and Swati shared of the species over emails. Scindhia and Shatrughan heard me on the species on multiple occasions and at strange times.   Don’t you tire talking about them? Asked a colleague as I expressed my awe and love – yet again - for the Pakhad trees. No, I responded. For, when around them I become a child and they my super heroes. The friend and I continued our late evening walk.   These Pakhad trees at the campus I stay on – Banaras, Uttar Pradesh – are a delight to the senses. Their size coupled with graceful presence often reminds me of elephants. The branches spread out like open arms – like godess Durga – only these are more. Branches, large yet gentle, and wrapped with leaves.   These trees were planted few decades ago, by someone wiser, to provide shade for...

Tracing Roots: Stories about Trees Text: Mallika Ravikumar Illustrations: Swati Kharbanda Publishers: Karadi Tales First Print: December, 2020 ISBN: 978-81-9440-714-0 Number of pages: 80 Price: 499/-   Sometime ago keen to read more on the Peepal I had tried searching the web. My time with Google showed me how Peepal grew on walls and terraces and informed me of the myriad ways in which one could get rid of the species. This was not only strange but also sad. On the other hand were web pages that listed benefits of the Peepal. I ended up wondering why do we not look at trees ( nature ) beyond the perceived threats and purported uses?   This book does that. With its stories it also took me to the days when Amar Chitra Katha and Chandamama were an integral part of my life.   The illustrations here have an old time feel to them. A feel that is special - not jaded. They sync well with the text. They also gel with each other and do not try too hard t...

Of trees Rains led to a few trees falling As I walked around I saw and touched them. As I walked away from each tree I felt somewhat empty Somewhat less of me Were these only trees falling? Falling Select lines from poems suddenly came to mind Of poets I had read and re-read during recent months. Poetry has been a close friend, A friend, who has many a time, Saved me from falling. Naresh Saxena   चीज़ों के गिरने के नियम होते हैं मनुष्यों के गिरने के कोई नियम नहीं होते लेकिन चीज़ें कुछ भी तय नहीं कर सकतीं अपने गिरने के बारे में मनुष्य कर सकते हैं     Kunwar Narain   पत्तों पर पानी गिरने का अर्थ पानी पर पत्ते गिरने के अर्थ से भिन्न है जीवन को पूरी तरह पाने और पूरी तरह दे जाने के बीच एक पूरा मृत्यु-चिह्न है     Harivansh Rai Bachchan मदिरालय का आँगन देखो कितने प्याले हिल जाते हैं गिर मिट्टी में मिल जाते हैं जो गिरते हैं कब उठतें हैं पर बोलो टूटे प्यालों पर कब मदिरालय पछताता है   Kedar Nath Singh   मेरे बेटे ब...

What cutting of one tree in Banaras tells us? Few days ago, the newspapers talked of one particular tree that fell. A Banyan in Banaras. Large number of people expressed anguish and some also considered it a harbinger of bad times for the town. Perplexed, I wondered what bad omen meant for a town ravaged by Covid? Amidst the pandemic driven chaos Banaras has, during the past few weeks, been witness to corpses lined up outside crematoriums and floating on river waters. And also, why one particular tree got the attention it did? Especially given that, around the same time, the news from the Capital, talked of treed avenues being destroyed. Of the uprooting and probable relocation of around 400 trees - including Jamun and Neem – some of those aging around 100 (years). A Banyan still standing (representative image from elsewhere) Image Credits: Dharmendra Khandal  The tree under discussion was the Akshay Vat - the indestructible Banyan tree . Only 2 such trees now remain - one at Gaya...

A very special spot The Peepal is at the fulcrum here. Initially this tree felt like a person I am familiar with. Today it is a friend I am comfortable with. One I like to share silences with. The tree stands mid-way between the edge of the river and the verandah where I often sit these days; ie when I am not sitting beneath the tree or walking in the vicinity. At the same height as the verandah, it stands at the edge of the slope which rolls, away from the verandah, down to meet the river. The Ganga. At Banaras. It appears unbothered by the other plants and trees around – other than of course the Neem which stands some feet away. But it does appear to tilt, as if in reverence, towards the river. Naresh Saxena in one of his poems talks about space – the need of space to enable better relations, stronger bonds. The Peepal appears to have that space and bonding with the river. From the verandah I many a time notice the buffaloes wallowing at the opposite banks. For all our talk and st...

Notes from under the peepal   An edited version of the piece finds places in The Sunday Magazine. Thanks are due to the team at The Hindu . Acknowledge Dharmendra Khandal and Shakti Kumar for suggestions on the draft. “ पीपर पात सरिस मनु डोला ”, is what Tulsidas wrote in the Ramcharitmanas about their poetic movement, said a friend, as I stared at the Peepal leaves. I sat, silent and smitten, amazed yet again, at this swaying of Peepal leaves. The poet, in the epic’s Ayodhya Khand, had allured to a wavering mind, the friend added.     From distance these swaying leaves appear like happy children playing while a closer view makes me wonder if this is how wind chimes at the Pearly Gates look like! They, when caressed by the wind, indeed play a joyous note. It is a special feel to rest my back against its trunk and look at the sky - netted by its dangling leaves. With the Peepal it is more of sitting with the tree rather than sitting under the tree.   Int...