Big Banyan in Basaveshwaranagar collapsed on Thursday

Big Banyan in Basaveshwaranagar collapsed on Thursday. The heritage tree, ironically, did not go under the axe, but died slowly due to human neglect
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: Bangalore lost one of its heritage trees — the Big Banyan, Dodda Aladamara of Basaveshwaranagar — on Thursday night. The tree, over 200 years old, was home to hundreds of monkeys and birds.
It was situated in a public park and as news of the fall spread, people from other localities came to see the end of the colossus. The tree, which had provided shade to the entire park, split into two before collapsing.
The park was covered with banyan tree branches and aerial roots destroying other plants and breaking the cement seats. On Friday morning, BBMP officials had a big task clearing the road of branches, chopping them and cleaning up the park.
According to environmentalists, the tree was neglected. Footpaths were laid, the park was decorated but the old tree was not taken care of.
Girish, a resident, said: “The banyan tree was the beauty of the park. When I was a kid, I used to play here and climb the tree, which was home to many birds. It collapsed as it did not have enough support. BBMP officials should have made arrangements to strengthen it.’’
Rajashekar, who resides next to the park, heard a loud sound around midnight. “I thought it was a bomb. I came out and saw that the tree had collapsed. It’s sad that we could not save this old tree,’’ he said.
S G Neginhal, retired IFS officer, said the tree was 500 years old. When he was in service 10-12 years ago, he and Zafer Futehally, then secretary of National Bombay Natural History Society, had met deputy conservator of the forest department to preserve the tree.
Going by the suggestions, the forest department had used pipes and hollow bamboos to protect the protruding roots of the tree and avoid damage to it. Also, they put up a board that read ‘first heritage tree of Bangalore’.
According to Neginhal, the Big Banyan’s (ficus benghalensis) aerial roots should strike the ground and help the tree gain considerable strength. But this did not happen. Due to developmental work and children who would hang on the roots, they were damaged and could not develop.
Interestingly, a Roman traveller on his visit to the country came across this tree and described it as ‘a walking tree’ because of its vast spread.
However, deputy conservator of forests, BBMP, S A Hubert, who visited the spot, said the tree had only two prop roots to support it. It had developed a hollow in the middle, which led to the collapse. The tree will now be auctioned and a local tender has already been notified.
THE LUCKY ONE
Another heritage banyan tree off the Bangalore-Mysore highway is going strong. Located off Kumbalgod in the backyard of the scenic Manchanbele dam, the Big Banyan is maintained well by the government Villagers living near Alanahalli worship the tree and offer special prayers on auspicious occasions. Reckoned to be a treasure trove of bio-diversity, the Dodda Aladamara harbours different species of bats, mynahs, birds, squirrels, and insects within its massive canopy. It covers about 20 guntas of land
TREES WITH
HERITAGE TAG
JACKFRUIT TREE “The last king of Mysore Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar and Dewan of Mysore M Visvesvaraya tasted this very jackfruit and liked its taste,” says S Narasimhaiah excitedly. This 83-year-old farmer of Kachahalli, Tubagere hobli, Doddaballapur taluk, is the proud owner of a 300-year-old jackfruit tree which is soon to get its heritage tag.
The taste of its fruit is so famous that it brings people from far during the harvest season. It has a girth of 20 feet and is usually laden with fruit. Narasimhaiah is a happy farmer, for the tree bears nearly 300 fruits annually, which he sells for Rs 20,000-30,000.
TAMARIND GROVE
The tamarind grove in Nallur, a village near Mallepura, 35 km from Bangalore, also bears a heritage badge. This 800-year-old tree has produced supporting roots and spawned independent trees, which is a rare botanical phenomenon. There is a belief that the 53-acre grove is the oldest in the state. The remaining 167 trees are 300 years old. Its prop roots are produced from its trunk, and root suckers from lateral roots. The trees look like dinosaurs that have lived for millions of years. They were believed to have been planted during Rajendra Chola’s regime in the 12th century.