an auto biography of banayan tree in 500 words
Answers
I am a banyan tree. The story of the birth of a banyan tree is quite interesting. Actually banyan trees are quite uncertain about their birth.
They are born out of seeds of banyan cones which birds eat up accidentally. It passes out of their excreta an if it is lucky enough to fall on a ground where the soil is soft and fertile then it will gradually develop into a tiny tree.
My memories about my birth is quite vague as it’s now 800 years past since I was born.
As for me I came out from the excreta of an unknown bird. I luckily fell on a soft soil by the side of a main road.
We banyan trees are known to be very durable, hence although facing the challenges of nature I survived.
Banyan trees have now divided into three categories: – rural, urban, suburban.
Rural trees are those trees which are very old. They have survived hundreds of years. They have a very long lifespan.
Their numbers are few. And slowly rural banyan trees are becoming extinct. And the ones that are living are considered highly valuable.
You will see that under the boughs of some peddlers sit to sell their knick-knacks. Under some the rural drama is staged or the country singers sing their songs.
Few serve as the meeting places of the Panchayat and few serve as the places of worship for any idol placed underneath.
The stories of suburban trees are different. You have frequently seen us growing in the cracks of buildings or staircase or on a garbage heap or on a woodpile.
The fate of suburban banyan trees is quite unfortunate. They are terminated in the middle of their life span in some or the other way. In some places where their head touches the electric lines, their heads are chopped off.
Even underground they have to spread their roots quite cautiously because of the water lines that grow underneath. And if by chance some root happens to touches the water pipe.
Banyan trees of urban environment are way different from us. The Japanese people are short heighted people and they started this trend of making miniature trees called ‘bonsai’.
What they do it that they half-cut the roots and keep us half-fed and so we grow but our growth is not complete and we remain in a miniature form.
The lifespan of a miniature bonsai is not known to me but through guesswork I can say they certainly live more than us as they are taken care of, fed and allowed to growth. It has become a part of ornamentation.
Coming back to me i saw the first light of sun after taking my head out of the soil. The main road leading to the town ghat was beside me. Instead of negligence and rough weather i grew up to be a strong sturdy tree.
During my years i have seen many things, times of turmoil, time of joy, thanks to my memory i remember it all. Once i saw a bullock drawn cart filled with arms getting looted by some college boys.