Venture out of the urban concrete jungle, and you would notice, especially slightly away from rural village settlements, one solitary tree, with a huge trunk and a canopy that can well engulf the rooftops of modern day bungalows. These are the famous banyan tree. Long before pop culture made it famous, they were already the talk of the town/village / fireside chats as people whispered about certain beliefs about that one bargad ka per (Banyan tree). Popular belief warns anyone from going close to it, standing under its haunting shadows, or even passing by it after nightfall. Today, we decode the mysteries of the Banyan tree.
Remember the chaos caused in the entire village of Phulera when people started getting eerie vibes while travelling under the Banyan tree in Panchayat Season 1? Or, when in Bengal, young children are sushed into discipline or fed with stories of the Dakini living in the tree who would come and run away with them if they don’t obey their parents? Or, popular horror series, where there is always a newly wed bride or an excited group of youngsters on their first village trip and one of them is almost fixated with the Banyan tree? No matter what the situation is, this tree has always been the talk of the town and in most cases, why not to be near it.
While folk tales are many, the Banyan tree has roots in mythology as well. King Vikramaditya, the knowledgeable, found Betal, the spirit, in one. Moreover, it is said to be the most prominent symbol associated with Lord Shiva in his Dakshinamurthy form, which explores the ideas of birth, death, existence, and spirit.
In fact, since Lord Shiva is known to have spirits, aghors, and other demigods as his followers, the tree automatically gets associated with Spirits. Interestingly, fast forward to the era to the emergence of Buddhism and you would recall sermons being given under the Bodhi Tree, which is nothing but a Great Banyan Tree.
Thus, with its overpowering branches, long thick trunks, a canopy that hides the horizon, and roots that hang from the branches and seep in well below the ground, the Banyan tree has an aura that is intimidating. Keeping aside folklore, mythology and everything else, there is however, a scientific reasoning to it all. Since the roots of the tree go well underground, the ground right beneath the tree is often soft and prone to seepage. To avoid that, many are advised not to stand under a banyan tree for long or at least look where one steps.
Today, the Banyan tree is still a subject of curiosity, with people at the crossroads of going near it or not. While some daredevils keep beliefs or superstitions at bay, some prefer to prevent danger rather than embrace it. Many trees are spots of tourism like the Great Banyan Tree in the Botanical Gardens, West Bengal. Some house scared Shiva Temples within their trunks. And the spirits – well they live on…
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