200-year-old banyan tree brought back to life in Goa

A much-loved banyan tree was uprooted by heavy rainfall in Arambol, Goa. it had been around for over 200 years and was a part of the local ecosystem for those who lived around it.

For the locals, the tree was not just part of the local fauna, it was a cornerstone of their everyday lives.

It was brought back to life by the collective efforts of the community, as reported by the Indian Express.

The tree grew on land owned by Sebastina Fernandes, who was heartbroken after the tree was uprooted.

“I would take tender coconuts and sit under the tree with a chair, selling it to tourists. In the evening, they would dance. All the speakers and lights were plugged to my house, so at 10 pm sharp every night, I would switch it off and ask them to go home. I kept an entry fee for all this but always made sure they respected the tree,” she told IE.

The shade of the tree was where many locals and tourists would do “ecstatic dancing”, according to Russian dance conductor Anna Marsy

“We were always dancing here, and every time ended with a gratitude ceremony for the tree. Across the Internet, it’s called The Source. Last season, it reached its highest point — with highest emotional level in togetherness. We decided to use the same spirit to revive her as she is not just a tree. People who have found happiness under her, from across the world, felt connected to her. Everyone reached out, from Berlin to London. We started researching and someone told us they had saved a banyan tree in Chennai. Word for help went out,” Marsy told the source.

Plugging in speakers and lights to a house nearby, tourists would dance the night away under the tree.

A campaign was raised to revive the tree. From residents who live nearby, to locals who sold coconuts under the tree, to tourists who marvelled over it during their stay in Goa, everyone joined hands to revive it.

It was social media that spread the word about the tree.

Soon, a two-week campaign was kickstarted with a google sheet. It expanded once it was estimated exactly how much equipment lifting and replanting the heavy tree would require.

Over Rs 2 lakh was collected from locals who had once danced under the tree.

Soon, Marc Francis of Living Heritage Foundation, an organisation involved with bio-conservation, joined in .

On August 16, people came together to revive the tree. They studied the roots, dug a deeper pit and put it into it, after which the roots were stretched out so that they could grow again.

Rescuers had to remove 40 tonnes of canopy to be able to lift it. They did not have cranes to do so and had to deploy four machines instead.

Locals will soon put up a board, urging passersby to be careful of the tree's situation.

It would read - the tree had a bad accident and is now recovering. Please respect her space and co-operate.