Devotees and local residents at the Parasala Shree Mahadevar Temple experienced a moment of panic on Monday afternoon when a massive banyan tree split down the middle and came crashing down. The incident occurred around 4 pm at the temple, which is managed by the Travancore Devaswom Board.

The giant tree, which stood on the traditional raised platform (althara) near the eastern entrance of the temple, split with a deafening noise before its main branch collapsed. The fallen branch snapped in two upon hitting the entrance gate, with one portion falling over to the opposite side of the pathway.

As there were no people in the immediate vicinity when the massive tree fell, a major tragedy was averted. While the concrete structure of the outer entrance gate suffered minor displacement, the main temple structure had no major damage.

Following the incident, the Parasala Fire Force quickly arrived at the scene and worked through the evening to clear the blocked pathway by cutting away the massive branches. However, temple authorities and residents remain concerned as the surviving portion of the tree remains highly unstable and poses an immediate threat.