Puducherry: Indispensable in the history of Puducherry state is Keezur village next to Villayanur. The reason is that in 1954, Puducherry, which was under French rule, was annexed to India in a referendum to 178 people’s representatives regarding its merger with India.
Another highlight of Sivaranthak near this historic Keezur is the banyan tree. It is said that the age of this banyan tree is more than 200 years old, showing the glory of nature with hundreds of petals.
Most of the scenes of the Hollywood movie “Life of Pi”, which won four Oscars, were shot in this town and around this banyan tree. An old woman named Maheshwari has been maintaining this centuries-old banyan tree for the past 55 years.
The 82-year-old man came to this village with his 5-year-old son. He stays near Ponniamman temple near the banyan tree and maintains the temple and the banyan tree. His son Murugan, who has been helping him since the age of 5, has grown up and married and his sons are also protecting the banyan tree.
When the pulp comes down, they dig a hole and put manure in the ground to protect it from being broken by anyone. More than 100 of the tentacles dropped in the soil stand up like trees. Maheshwari and his family, who have been tending banyan trees for three generations, have never expected any help from the government.
Old lady Maheshwari says about this, “I have been taking care of this banyan tree for the last 55 years. My son Murugan has been supporting me. Now he is married and has two sons. They also take care of this banyan tree. When I arrived the tentacles were unkempt and unkempt.
Then when we descend from the top of the tree, we soak paddy, ulathampottu, lake silt and manure, put it in a bag and dig a hole and bury it in the earth. And so it was that these hundreds of vultures were done. So far we have not allowed to cut or break a single strand from this alam.
For this I go round the tree every day. They asked places like Thiruvanthipuram, Cuddalore, Arumbarthapuram to use the cloths in the temples. But we refused that too. Never asked for any help from the government.
I hire two people from my old age allowance to clean under the banyan tree from time to time. I will accept any small help from the temple visitors. I am maintaining between various protests and struggles. My full-time job is to protect this tree and grow the saplings.
After my life my children shall maintain. At the same time, the Puducherry government has not found this historical banyan tree. Therefore, many people have been demanding that the government should take steps to protect the centuries-old grand banyan tree.