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మహాభారత కాలం నాటి మర్రిచెట్టు ఎక్కడ ఉందంటే .... Epic act: NGT battles for Kurukshetra's 'Gita tree'



CHANDIGARH: Thousands of years after the epic Kurukshetra battle, National Green Tribunal (NGT) did an Arjuna act recently to protect the mythological banyan tree under which Lord Krishna is believed to have delivered the message of Bhagavad Gita.



Considered to be more than 5,000 years old, the banyan tree at Jyotisar near Kurukshetra in Haryana is believed to be the only remaining living relic from the Mahabharata period.



Concerned over the waning health of the tree, the NGT has issued a notice to the deputy commissioner of Kurukshetra and sought a report on steps taken for preserving it.



"We hope that good sense prevails on the management of the holy place in question and adequate measures are taken for providing necessary relief to the trees at the said place in light of the expert's observations," the NGT said in its order issued on May 19.


Hearing a petition filed by renowned environmentalist and advocate MC Mehta through his NGO Indian Council for Enviro-Legal Action, a division bench comprising judicial member Justice U D Salvi and expert member Dr D K Aggarwal of the NGT has directed the deputy commissioner and Kurukshetra Development Board to file a status report on July 3.

Pleading that the tree is dying a slow death, the petitioner submitted that the marble and concrete paving around the tree is harming its growth. Fancy lights and lamps are also nailed to the old tree and big bells are tied all over it. The 'holy threads' tied by pilgrims have covered most of the lower branches, the petitioner said. Lakhs of tourists visit Kurukshetra every year due to its mythological importance.

He pleaded that if adequate steps are not taken, the tree will suffer irreparable loss and hurt the sentiments of pilgrims and devotees.

The petitioner sought the NGT's directives to remove the concrete and marble paving at least up to six metres around the tree and other measures to ensure its growth.

The tribunal was also informed that a team of Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun, had also conducted an inspection and reported that the marble flooring should be opened to expose the soil and a fencing be installed to check people from touching or tying threads on the branches. According to sources, the tree's age has not been scientifically examined till now.
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