Tenacious residents have managed to save portions of an old peepal tree in a temple at Ulsoor. Temple authorities said a decision had been taken to cut the tree as falling branches had damaged the compound wall.
During the end of March, residents close to the Subramanya temple were aghast when a century-old tree was chopped. B.S. Chandru said their initial pleas went in vain and chopping of the branches stopped only after a police complaint was filed against temple authorities. “The temple authorities would have removed the tree, which is holy for us, if we had not intervened. What now remains is a 20-foot-high stump,” said Mr. Chandru.
On Tuesday, officials of the forest cell of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) warned the temple authorities against causing any more damage to the tree. “We have revoked permission given to the temple to trim the branches,” said G.R. Vijaykumar, Range Forest Officer, BBMP (Forest Cell).
Devotees and neighbours hope that the peepal tree will sprout branches in this monsoons, and perhaps reach its full height in due course.
