22nd March 2025 Mr Nandakumar
I posted a painting of Venpalavattom Durga temple over 200 years old. It is a six-storey building. The temple got its name from the tree in the temple premises. None of us can see the two squares of granite slabs the tree’s roots cling to. The most important feature of this temple is the number of trees planted on the premises. These trees are planted based on the stars of the Malayalam horoscope. That allows people of that star to protect these trees when they visit the temple. Temple authorities protect the trees. There is also a mangrove forest nearby. This is indeed an eco-friendly temple meant to preserve nature.
These days, protecting the environment is a rare vision. Most have given way to building more infrastructure. The earth is being depleted of its trees, which has brought about landslides and floods. Tree roots help to slow down the flow of rainwater, so floods have become the norm every rainy season. Hence, this temple intends to protect trees and is a welcome message to all of us to protect our trees.