Palakkad: When the nation celebrates its 77th Independence Day on Tuesday, the residents of Vadavannur, a small village in Palakkad district, will join the fervour in a novel way.
They will honour a banyan tree planted the day India declared its independence.
Vadakkeppatt Narayanan Nair, a Sanskrit scholar and ayurveda practitioner, planted the banyan tree sapling at Vadavannur Vaidyasala bus stop to mark the sacrifices of the nation's brave hearts during the independence struggle.
“The area underwent several changes. But the banyan stood the test of time. Six years ago, we celebrated its 70th birthday grandly. This year, we have more reason to celebrate. The Vadavannur grama panchayat has constructed an 'aalthara' (a platform around the tree). It allotted Rs 1.15 lakh as a special fund for the project.
Along with the Independence Day celebrations, the 'aalthara' will be inaugurated at 10.30 am on Tuesday,” said Gopinatha Menon, one of the members of the Vaidyasala Aalvriksha Aamrakshana Koottayma (Vaidyasala Banyan tree Protection Association).
“This year, the state and Central governments have urged local bodies to plant tree saplings during Azadi Amrit Maholsav. Along with that, we are also honouring the banyan tree. We have decked the tree up with illuminations and ribbons for the occasion," said Manikandan A, member of Vadavannur gram panchayat.
The platform will be inaugurated by the panchayat president Sakeer Hussain in the presence of Adv. Madhusoodanan Nair.
