I had a hilly estate in Attappady where we had coconut trees, arecanut trees and pepper as main harvest and some coffee also. There was a small resort also in it, with three bamboo huts a main house a stand alone hearth-enabled kitchen and a swimming pool managed by nature.
I had an estate manager who looked after the estate and I used to visit there once in a month for a week. Some times I stayed for months also. The estate was in the middle of a forest and there was only one house near mine. Couple of boundaries were to woods which slowly merged into reserve forests where elephants, wild boars, deers, etc. roamed.
There were 6 orange trees of which two looked like a couple which stood on the plane where the huts and swimming pools stood. My manager who was assisting the previous owner of the estate, knew that all the six should be around 12 years old. As per wild-wisdom, orange trees need to blossom and fruit much earlier but none of these ever did that! He told me in the whole of Attappady many farmers planted orange trees and none fruited. Many took horticultural advice in vain. I scolded him for not providing proper water and manure which he dismissed as not true.
That night on my bed I thought of Dr. Jagdish Chandra Bose who had conducted impressive researches is plant-emotions. I studied him, curiously as part of my hindi lessons rather than science! He had proved that his instruments could show readings in opposite directions when a man approached a tree with water and manure or an axe. That was an emotional response.
So I decided to talk to the two trees. I get up at 5 am in the morning and do devi pooja. That day as usual I did the pooja and after that at around 6:30 am in my usual red silk garment I went near them with the kamandalu containing the theertham. I needed to complete what I wanted to, before 7 because my manager would come by that time. Also if anyone sees me talking to the trees they may take me to a hospital!
Facing the two trees I started. The talk was in Malayalam. Here is the translation although it does not have the punch.
"Dear orange trees. What is the purpose of your life? Why do you live on earth? To fruit and give them to the men and animals around you. The seeds grow and your species sustains. If you don't do that, why do you live on earth? If the earlier owners of this land had not fed you properly, I beg your pardon. Here is the water you need. (poured the water from the kamndalu at the feet of both the trees) I will make the manager feed you properly with manure and water henceforth. Please fulfil the purpose of your life.
If you still don't do that, then I will have to cut you into pieces and burn. (with a laughter) I know I won't have to do that because you are my darlings and you can understand me."
Then I embraced both the trees and kissed on their leaves.
Before my manager came I had finished the process and reached back home. So he did not know. After some days I came back to Kochi. After a week I got a phone call from my manager saying.
"Uncle, those two oranges have blossomed and looks like two huge kaavadis!!"
"God! only those two or all the 8 of them in the estate?"
"No, only those two on the plane near the pool"
"My god, am coming"
I went the next week. It was a feast to the eyes to see them with full of flowers. The oranges, almost 400 kg that they gave us were terrific! No air gap between the skin and the meat. Tremendously sweet and sour too.
I had an estate manager who looked after the estate and I used to visit there once in a month for a week. Some times I stayed for months also. The estate was in the middle of a forest and there was only one house near mine. Couple of boundaries were to woods which slowly merged into reserve forests where elephants, wild boars, deers, etc. roamed.
There were 6 orange trees of which two looked like a couple which stood on the plane where the huts and swimming pools stood. My manager who was assisting the previous owner of the estate, knew that all the six should be around 12 years old. As per wild-wisdom, orange trees need to blossom and fruit much earlier but none of these ever did that! He told me in the whole of Attappady many farmers planted orange trees and none fruited. Many took horticultural advice in vain. I scolded him for not providing proper water and manure which he dismissed as not true.
That night on my bed I thought of Dr. Jagdish Chandra Bose who had conducted impressive researches is plant-emotions. I studied him, curiously as part of my hindi lessons rather than science! He had proved that his instruments could show readings in opposite directions when a man approached a tree with water and manure or an axe. That was an emotional response.
So I decided to talk to the two trees. I get up at 5 am in the morning and do devi pooja. That day as usual I did the pooja and after that at around 6:30 am in my usual red silk garment I went near them with the kamandalu containing the theertham. I needed to complete what I wanted to, before 7 because my manager would come by that time. Also if anyone sees me talking to the trees they may take me to a hospital!
Facing the two trees I started. The talk was in Malayalam. Here is the translation although it does not have the punch.
"Dear orange trees. What is the purpose of your life? Why do you live on earth? To fruit and give them to the men and animals around you. The seeds grow and your species sustains. If you don't do that, why do you live on earth? If the earlier owners of this land had not fed you properly, I beg your pardon. Here is the water you need. (poured the water from the kamndalu at the feet of both the trees) I will make the manager feed you properly with manure and water henceforth. Please fulfil the purpose of your life.
If you still don't do that, then I will have to cut you into pieces and burn. (with a laughter) I know I won't have to do that because you are my darlings and you can understand me."
Then I embraced both the trees and kissed on their leaves.
Before my manager came I had finished the process and reached back home. So he did not know. After some days I came back to Kochi. After a week I got a phone call from my manager saying.
"Uncle, those two oranges have blossomed and looks like two huge kaavadis!!"
"God! only those two or all the 8 of them in the estate?"
"No, only those two on the plane near the pool"
"My god, am coming"
I went the next week. It was a feast to the eyes to see them with full of flowers. The oranges, almost 400 kg that they gave us were terrific! No air gap between the skin and the meat. Tremendously sweet and sour too.
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