NATURE has taken away its own golden treasure -- a 500-year-old Banyan tree that had found mention in 1965 classic ‘Guide’ actor Kishor Sahu’s autobiography. The huge tree in Gaimukh in Bhandara district was uprooted by heavy winds the other day, taking away a massive identity of the place. Late Sahu, who played the role of archaeologist husband of Waheeda Rehman in the Dev Anand starrer ‘Guide’, was a resident of Paladi village in Bhandara district. His autobiography mentions the big Banyan tree, its beauty and an incident in his life related to the tree. Sahu wrote about the incident in his life in 1930, when he was studying in Standard 8 in Bhandara. He had gone to pilgrimage to Gaimukh along with his maternal uncle in a bullock cart.

 

He developed severe gastric pain and halted under the big Banyan tree for the night. He got treated under the tree itself and proceeded the next day. The huge tree mentioned by Sahu was on the route of Gaimukh. “The Banyan tree was a strong protector of nature and a symbol of social and cultural heritage of Tumsar tehsil in Bhandara district. It was totally uprooted due to heavy storm that lashed the district. We have lost a 500-year-old strong protector. It was not just a tree for us, but also a guide and an identity of our village,” Mohd Sayeed Sheikh, founder President of Green Heritage, a social foundation in Bhandara, informed‘The Hitavada’.

 

“During the 500 years of its existence, the great tree witnessed many kings, rulers like Raje Bakht Buland Shah, Raje Raghuji Bhonsale; Yadavrao; Ganpatrao Pande (Pande Mahal Bhandara) etc. These rulers used to halt under the evergreen canopy of‘VatVriksha’ while on their way to Ambagad fort. Mahawat of Ganpatrao Pande used to park his elephant under the tree and offer Namaz,” he added. Sheikh shared many memories of the tree as it was a favourite place for everyone in the region. “There is a huge well near the Banyan tree.

 

Many children used to swim in this well. Around 50 years ago, Samad and Rehman, the two famous hunters, used to halt under this tree. The tree had witnessed many festivals, provided medicines to many Ayurvedic and Unani physicians, gave shelter to each and everyone passing through the route. This is not only a great loss of nature, but made people orphan,” Sheikh mentioned