The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : People flock to ‘shaking tree’

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Thursday, Jan 31, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

People flock to ‘shaking tree’

D. Chandra Bhaskar Rao

A tiny tamarind tree in a Khammam village is attracting a lot of people from distant places

– Photo: G. N. Rao

Strange occurrence: Curious onlookers having a look at the tamarind tree in Mallaram village.

MALLARAM (Khammam Dt.): Trees often can be found dancing to the rhythm of the wind. But a tiny tamarind tree in this village is doing this all alone, while many trees around stand in still in contrast without scope for even a leaf to flutter. The tree has become a strange attraction for people from distant places.

“There is no element of fiction. It is real and we are very much among the thousands who witnessed this incredible happening,” says Addanki Venkatesham and Yashoda, the Upa sarpanch of the village. It all started on January 10 last.

The tree which will be 14-15 years old started shaking around midnight. Disturbed by the continuous noise of birds flapping their wings rapidly, people living in the vicinity gathered in the street in a big way with their torches on. But they could hardly find any bird on its branches.

It took more than a couple of hours for the crackling sounds to die down. With lots of small foliage on its tiny branches, the tree is in the heart of the village and it was spared from the axe all these days for its shade. Mede Nagaiah built his house right under the tree and boasts of the advantages of the green cover provided by the tree. However, of late, he seems to have no love lost for the tree. His wife, Pullamma, 49, who was healthy enough, suddenly died on January 19. Many people related the strange occurrences with the tree to the death of Nagaiah’s wife. Though an illiterate he gave no credence to the theories floated by his neighbours.

Repeat ‘performance’

The tree ‘behaved’ the same way once again on January 20 last. Nearly 300 people from the village watched it shaking this time rather vigorously for more than one hour. The neem tree, which is just a few yards away, remained motionless. This happened many times thereafter.

The educated youths of the village, however, attribute the phenomenon to the fundamentals of soil science and have been watchful of the unusual phenomenon. “If this continues further, we would like to take it up with the authorities concerned,” they said. People are still flocking to the village and waiting for long hours to witness the strange occurrence in the tamarind tree.

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