In some respects, the people of India may seem to be a mixture of opposites. On the one hand they are steeped in mysticism and on the other hand excel in reasoning, defy anything which is opposed to logic and come out with innovative thoughts and findings and of course they are forerunners in science and technology. Take the case of a Neem Tree.
It is considered one of the sacred trees in India from time immemorial. It is the symbol or the abode of Goddess Mariamman. To say in exact terms of the devotees ’Neem Tree’ is considered as the ‘Thala Virutcham’ (a favourite Tree of Goddess Mariamman). People who go to the temples worship the ‘Neem’ tree as well, apply sacred Tilak to it. To cap it all, recently a neem tree whose trunk has been bulging with for the last several weeks, was considered as pregnant, for the bulging of the trunk exactly resembled the belly of a woman in her third trimester. So the neem tree was adorned with bangles and flowers on Tuesday by residents of Reddypettai village in Kanchipuram District as part of the ‘Valaikappu’ celebrations for the tree.
“Valaikappu’ is a ceremony for a woman usually done during her pregnancy between the months 7 and 9, when she is adorned with bangles and blessed by the relatives and the ceremony is usually done to please her and her yet to be delivered child and in order to keep her in a good mental frame before the delivery. The same Valaikappu ceremony was performed to the neem tree by the residents of Reddypettai village, with all reverence and it is also interesting to note that even peoples of other religions like muslims also participated in the ceremony. A variety of dishes were also offered as oblations considering the neem tree as a real pregnant woman.
On the other hand the neem tree is held in high esteem for its utility in other respects. Its leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds etc are having a medicinal value and the wood of the tree serve as a building material. In fact, Neem tree has much to do with the Ayurvedic or Siddha medicine or in other words known as Indian Medicine. Neem tree is also useful in making cosmetic soaps. In fact at the International level, a dispute over the patent rights of products from neem tree is also on the card.
Before concluding let us apply our reasoning power behind the bulging of the trunk of the neem tree for which the people of Reddypettai performed Valaikappu ceremony. Scientists at the National Agro Foundation (NAF) in Kanchipuram , on learning about the above said neem tree are of the opinion, that the aberration could have been caused by a multiplication of tissues in the trunk of the neem tree, similar to what happens in humans when they develop cancer. However, the scientists point out that the bulging would not affect the neem tree.