Three years ago, I received an unexpected call from my friend Anand. He sounded concerned and explained that a large Peepal plant had grown within the drainage line of his building. The roots had expanded so much that they caused severe leakage in the toilets and kitchens of several flats. The residents were planning to remove and destroy the tree, but Anand was determined to save it. He knew how precious and sacred Peepal trees are and wanted to find a way to preserve it. I knew it's environmental benefits, it's health benefits and it's spiritual benefits and I also wanted to save the tree.
Anand asked me if I knew of any place where we could transplant the Peepal tree, somewhere it could thrive and be well taken care of. Without hesitation, I suggested we could plant it at my dad's farm. The farm was looked after by Shyambhau and Anita Tai, who lived there. I decided to help Anand and took my kids, Nabha and Nirad, along with a small kitten that had recently come into our care. We didn’t have a TV at home, so I wasn’t aware of the latest news and hadn’t been keeping up with the newspaper. We were blissfully unaware of the lockdown and curfew that had been imposed.
We set off on our journey to the farm, Anand, my kids, the kitten, and I, with the Peepal plant in tow. Halfway through our trip, we received a call informing us about the lockdown and curfew that was in effect. By then, we were already far along, and rather than turning back, we decided to proceed.
To add to our story, both Shyambhau and Anita Tai had contracted COVID-19, and our kitten was very young, barely a month old. Despite the lockdown, we weren’t stopped by the police even once during the 45-kilometer journey. It was as if fate was on our side. We had the digging and replanting work which took time and we got late than expected and the tree was yet to be plantes. We had to stay at the farms. I knew that my parents would be worried about my kids and me being affected by the corona wave and so I kept the entire plans to myself. Also I was fully aware and had no fear of corona in spite of the fact that we were living with two corona patients, because of two reasons: 1) we perform agnihotra which forms a protective layer around us which protects us and 2) there were hundreds of egs of people who served the people in corona were not affected by corona. When a person does any divine work, the divine energy takes care and protects. Saving the peepal tree was a divine work and we tried our best.
Now, as I look at that Peepal tree, I can’t help but feel a deep sense of satisfaction. It has grown beautifully, almost like it’s part of our family. Watching it thrive brings immense joy and peace—it’s like raising a child and seeing it flourish. That tree has become our baby, a living reminder of that extraordinary journey.
This picture here is when I met that Peepal tree in Aug 2024.
- Manjushree Rathi
Director, ME Holistic Centre
www.meholisticcentre.con
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