Banyan tree transplanted

Banyan tree transplanted

Staff Reporter
— Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

A NEW HOME: Minister for Urban Development S. Suresh Kumar (bespectacled) performing puja for replanting a banyan tree at Sir M. Visvesvaraya Aalada Marada Park at Basaveshwara Nagar on Wednesday.
Bangalore: Local residents had gathered in large numbers to witness the transplantation of a banyan tree at the Banyan Tree Park at Basaveshwaranagar, here on Wednesday.

A banyan tree that was removed from Mysore Road to make way for the metro rail was planted in place of the magnificent 400-year-old tree that crashed recently.

The tree was transplanted in the presence of Minister for Urban Development, Law and Parliamentary Affairs S. Suresh Kumar, after a puja.

Asked about the many trees that were giving way to wider roads and metro rail, Mr. Suresh Kumar said that the Government, while stressing on development, was keen on preserving the environment. Residents recalled their memories of the old banyan tree.

Suryaprakash Rao, a resident, said that the 400-year-old tree provided refuge to a variety of birds. Another regular visitor to the park for 20 years, K.B. Shenoy read out a poem he had composed in the memory of the banyan tree. He recalled his daily routine of yoga and meditation sessions.