YOU’RE MY WISH COME TRUE (Two minute read)
By Neel Anil Panicker
“It is a metaphorical tree”.
Katherine looked at her Indian beau in quizzical fashion.
‘What’s that supposed to mean__a metaphorical tree?’
In reply, Raj lifted his arms and drew a huge circular arc into the silvery cloud of skies.
“Look around you. What do you see? A land full of lush greenery, sprawling paddy fields, sheaths of pearly white water flowing from the mountains, people living peaceful, happy lives in beautiful, little hutments, their faces, all calm and full of contentment. Did you see…”
‘Hey, that’s cool. But what’s that to do with this tree’?
Katherine’s impatience seemed to be getting the better of her.
Raj looked at her and pointed towards the huge banyan tree a few meters from where the two stood in the middle of an open field that abutted the village in the northern fringes of hilly Assam.
“This is no ordinary banyan tree. This is the Kalpataru…the wish fulfilling tree.”
This time Katherine was intrigued enough to ask what that meant.
“It’s an Indian myth. What you see is the ‘Tree of Life’. For the villagers this tree is a metaphor for the celebration of hope, prosperity, and ecology. And that…”
‘And that explains all those long colourful threads that are tied around its various branches. They are all wishes of the faithful, hopes and dreams that they pray would come true, right?’
Raj nodded his head in affirmation as the two looked at the huge twenty feet high ‘Kalpataru’, its unnaturally large and thick branches and the array of panoramic tightly knotted cloths and threads softly swaying in the cool September breeze that was blowing in from the snow capped mountains that formed a protective umbrella all around the place known to both botanists and ordinary folk alike as ‘Heaven’s Garden’.
“Do you have a wish? If so, go ahead and tie yourself a thread.”
‘I don’t need to. That which I wished for has been fulfilled. It’s you’, said Katherine looking into Raj’s eyes.
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Thursday photo prompt: Wishes #writephoto
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A sweet tale, Neel…and thank you for sharing a little folklore too. I find it interesting that these wishing trees seem common to muc of the world.
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It is a very small world , isn’t it.
Thanks Sue
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It is indeed 🙂
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