India banyan tree : NPR
The distant postcards are a weekly series in which international NPR correspondents share snapshots of moments of their lives and work around the world.
Bananas are my constant companion while I travel to India. These trees go away, sending roots that grow from their branches like ropes on which children swing. In Hindu and Muslim areas, it is not unusual to see oil lamps nestled in reverence in the tangle of the Banyan roots – the tree is considered to be invigorating. Sometimes there are strips of fabric that float branches in the hope of prayers.
The trees are also in the shade, like the one I saw at the end of spring outside the village of Dingucha in the western state of Gujarat. These men were seated at the end of the afternoon, taking a break next to a stand that sells paan, a mixture of ground beets and aromas. The light looked separate – as if I had entered an old photo – and I started to slam. There was not such a respite, however, for the flow of young women I saw pass, balancing heavy pots of water on my head – an exhausting task that they sometimes expected to repeat several times a day.
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