The Wisdom Of The Ancients - The Peepal Tree And It's Social Significance As A Meeting Place
Image credit: traveltalesfromindia.in You have probably seen it in countless Indian movies. The peepul or banyan is the centre of the village’s social life. Pretty much everybody has to stop by them in the course of a day’s work, and people stop by to chat and exchange news and gossip. The village vagabonds, sleep underneath it. The gamblers sit and play their cards over a glass of tea. Often times, this is where the sarpanch (village headman) holds his meetings. This is a place where everybody is recognised. It is a place where everybody’s story is told and heard. It is a place where everybody has a voice. We often woefully bemoan the loss of the wholesome foods, fresh air and healthy lifestyle of country living and of days gone by. But we completely forget that one of the reasons why our forefathers were strong and resilient could be this social system. In their day, not everybody was part of a joint family - there were people even then, who went elsewhere in se...