Tree spread over acres baffles visitors

People may take away dry wood or fallen branches, but no one is allowed to cut them

SARGODHA: On the way from Madh Ranjha, near Sargodha, towards the village of Abal, there is a small jungle spread over three to four acres, but upon a closer look it is found that only one banyan tree is spread over the area. Local people say the mammoth tree is more than 1,000 years old but there is no definite record of its age. If you enter the shade of the tree, there are dozens of stems growing from the ground to the branches in addition to its huge trunk. There are dozens of graves in the shade of the tree, but the one nearest it is of Baba Rodey Shah, who is believed to have planted it. The caretaker of the grave, Maulvi Vilayat Shah, lives with his family in a house adjoining the place. He said Baba Rodey Shah was a pious man who did not feel cold or hot weather. He planted the tree at this place and kept guarding and nurturing it for his whole life.

The people of the village used to give food to him. He used to drink half of the milk sent by them and pour the remaining half under the tree. This led to the extraordinary growth of the tree. Before his death, Baba Rodey Shah said the tree would protect his grave. Now the tree’s branches had surrounded the grave, Vilayat Shah said.

The people of the area believe that anyone who tries to harm the tree would suffer a loss. People may take away dry wood or the fallen branches of the tree, but no one is allowed to cut them. Villayat Shah claimed that a man had been bitten by a snake and another had become disabled after falling while trying to cut the tree for wood. Although this reporter could not find any person hurt while cutting the tree’s branches, local people believe the anecdotes to be true. This has helped protect the tree

over the years despite the need for fuel wood in the area. People who visit the place to see the tree have also engraved their names on it. People from India and some other countries have also visited the place after reading or listening about this natural phenomenon. Everyone who comes here usu

ally is lost in the beauty and grandeur of this tree. However, people complain about unavailability of basic facilities for tourists. Rana Usman Ali Khan, who had come from Sargodha, said spreading information about the tree would help promote tourism in the area. Sargodha Agriculture Department Deputy Director Dr Basharat Salim said all the stems at this place are of one tree that have grown from its roots or from the branches towards the ground. He said the tree’s roots have spread under the ground in a vast area and have grown above ground at several places. He said it was evident that the tree was several hundred years old.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3^rd, 2020.