Stories of a Tree
This tree stands still near the Dasarighatta village - all alone. The fields the tree immediately oversees in all the 4 cardinal directions are almost empty. There is barely any vegetation. You couldn’t miss it if you tried. The road leading up to the aralimara, as it is known in Kannada, has a steep incline on one side. Once you ride or walk up the road, you are set vis-a-vis a prim, unassuming tree which can’t help but stand out. 'Rayappana Mara' is 150 years old. It was planted by Vishwanath’s grandfather, Rayappa Gowda, and is one among the 5 planted along the stretch extending till Kenkere. All the 5 trees were planted by the brothers of the late Rayappa and all of them were planted near each brother’s respective plot of land. It is a child which set off a chain reaction - all the remaining three trees were planted in response to each other by four competing brothers.
<span class="time-wrap">15, August 2024</span>
You hear it everywhere, from everyone. Trees are valuable for the biodiversity they foster, they help in mitigating climate change by storing carbon and providing oxygen. While this is certainly useful, we think that trees carry more meaning. What about it’s non-material existence? What about its animistic significance? What about the cultural value it has to people around it? By asking and trying to answer these questions, we hope that we can help in loving and conserving one of Earth’s most precious plants.
With Stories of a Tree, we try to uncover the multifaceted and contradictory dimensions 'Rayappana Mara' exists in, but is often overlooked. We will do this by examining a 150-year-old tree situated near the Dasarighatta village through the lenses of people who live in its immediate surroundings. The memories a tree triggers, the ephemeral moments it has borne witness to and what meaning a tree might hold for people living around them are elements which often don’t come through when we look at trees from a scientific lens. We rely on testimonies and oral histories to bring out these aspects, along with images and videos which showcase 'Rayappana Mara' in its unique life-world. We juxtapose contradictory elements. The connections that people have to the tree need not be unilaterally positive, and these are the areas which we want to investigate. The idea is not to slip back into an anthropocentrism, but rather to explore the myriad ways in which people relate to trees - their trees - be it large or small while also giving stage to the tree itself to speak.
Watch the grandson of Rayappa, Vishwanath, take us through the history of 'Rayappana Mara'.
Ultimately, we want people to develop a deeper appreciation and love for our trees, whose existence is becoming increasingly precarious.