Matter of faith: This ‘Bohr waleyan di dukan’ stands out

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 21

This shop stands out from all others in the district. Popularly known as “Bohr waleyan di dukan”, the owner of this wholesale sugar shop at Mandi Fentonganj has allowed two huge inter-twined banyan and peepal trees to grow together, allowing these to pierce the roofs of the three-storeyed building.

Unmindful of the risk involved because of the weakening of the building due to deeper penetration of the roots and emerging of more offshoots of the peepal within his shop, Sudarshan Kumar Aggarwal says, “I had clearly told the building contractor who raised a verandah around the trees to leave more space than their present girth for their full expansion and growth. The trees earlier fell outside the constructed portion of the shop and these had to be covered during a renovation done about 10 years ago.”

Says the shop owner, “My father Anant Ram had told me that the trees had been planted by his Muslim labourer Agman about 70 years ago and these should never be cut. So, I am just following his word. He used to daily offer lassi at the base of the trees and light up earthen lamps in the evening. I am still following this tradition and it has brought me luck.”

Aggarwal believes the trees could not have any detrimental effect on his building. “These have been there for years. These have been growing within their limits and have so far not had any bad effect on my shop for 70 years.”

Ramesh Kumar, a retailer from Shankar village, who had come to make purchases at the shop, said, “He too enjoys offering prayers before the trees as he considers these holy.”