The Tree God

It was an official visit to a nearby town where I and my team halted for refreshments. It was dusk and we all were tired. Just as we were heading towards the small hangout I caught glimpse of an earthen lamp. It was at a distance and I assumed it would be a temple. As I approached it I discovered many lit earthen lamps there. The place was serene and as I looked up I realized it was a tree. It was a Kalpvruksh (the Monkey Bred Tree). They are the oldest tree species and are called living fossils. They have a characteristic trunk i.e. broad at the base and narrow at the top with no leaves. By then my colleague had joined me and I told her that a Kalpvruksha is believed to fulfill all your wishes.


There was something very unusual about the place. The long roots of tree had outgrown and encircled a box. It looked like an old trunk weathered with time and had a huge lock over it.


Just as I neared the trunk to examine it closely a voice from behind me said, “This is Gaya’s Trunk.” I was startled to see our driver there. He belonged to the village and had followed us to the tree.

What followed was a narration I would never forget. The driver told us that Gaya was a little boy and was 8 when he had come to the village. He belonged to the nearby town where his family was burnt alive in the 1992 riots. He managed to flee with severe burns and had lost his mental balance. The tree was his abode since day one.

He would eat and sleep under this tree. Villagers gave him food but he would never let any body come near him. And this trunk was something that he always kept at his side. All were curious to know what was hidden inside.

“What was there in the trunk?” I asked and the driver came out of his trance. He looked at me, gave a mocking smile and continued. Madam Ji the secret of the trunk took Gaya’s life. A bunch of hooligans one night beat him up and took away this trunk too. The next morning the whole village was under shock. Gaya was dead and the trunk was open. Inside it laid three worn out books – the Geeta, the Kuran and the Guru Granth Sahib. With these texts was a note which said, “Do not let these out. People who read and follow them kill each other.”

I was speechless as the driver continued, “The books still lie in the trunk. People in our village do not follow any religion. We do not worship any god. We worship this place, this tree where a small boy taught us the lesson of humanity - To live and let live.”

At times our visions areso overshadowed by what is written and dictated that we cannot hear the sound from within. The sound of humanity.