On Friday the 8th December, a resident Mr. Sameer Walia noticed that the people were putting all the religious stuff under the peepal tree in the Big park and the parsad offerings would rot at the bot tom of the tree giving out a foul smell. When he told the gardeners, they declined to clear it up citing religious beliefs. He then informed on the main whats app group and shared some pics.
Another resident pointed out the diyas around the other two peepal trees, and the one outside the DVCC had lots of stuff like this accumulated. It indeed was an accumulation of all religious material discarded under the trees as per our religious beliefs. However it is difficult to accept such beliefs as they seem to be at odds with spirituality. How can we discard the once revered idols so callously to be dirtied by elements and stray animals alike?
Mrs Manju Veera, a senior citizen and Ex-ARA president mentioned that she will take up the responsibility of the big park, during the evening walk, carry a disposable bag to pick up and throw away all this from the peepal tree. Next day, in the early morning Mrs Arati Mohan, a senior citizen, cleaned all the muck from under the peepal tree near DVCC. The residents of Anand Lok got together to do this huge community service and cleaned up the muck accumulated under the peepal trees of Anand Lok.
This community bonding is commendable and we hope that those littering the trees post Diwali take a lesson from it.
