Conscious Society Of Jaipur:Rajasthan


Conscious vis a vis Conservation :
Damyanti Singh my charming hostess talked fervently, about the trees that she and her family tried to save and conserve some years back:

There is this road in Jaipur,called Queen’s Road:

It was a beautiful wide avenue with 300 year old huge banyan trees, on either side. {BADU-Pear} called locally.
These were planted by the foresighted ancestors ...and were the legacy left for the Jaipurians.
These 300 years old Banyan trees provided shade to the traveler and thus formed a divine canopy .
They were the home for a millions and a variety of birds: parrot, bulbul,..and even the peacock used to nest here.
It was so lovely a road, that it prompted the rulers of Jaipur to take Queen Elizabeth for a delightful buggy ride...in 1960s…
There were about fourteen solid Banyan tress on a 3 kilometer road..
During early- Vasundra’s reign, for road-expansion & broadening, these banyan legacies were cut down brutally.
The greed for power, popularity, expansion and progress..
all at the cost of cutting these trees…
All cries for conservation ,fell on deaf ears.

The diameter of each tree was so big that it took a whole week to cut one tree.
The roots were so strong and deep that the hole left behind after uprooting, looked like a full-size well.
In the place of these gracious old trees small saplings were planted:
Now they are at a shrubby stage and will remain as shrubs.
One can only wonder if they will ever grow to the majestic heights as their predecessors .
And where are the birds now ?
These regal banyans were the source of their food & shelter.
Have they soared away to a nearby thicket & one never knows the nearby thicket will be diminished…too
All in the name of PROGRESS!

Comments

Unknown said…
What a sad story.....what is this world coming to?
September 26, 2008 at 3:05 PM
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