"Felling of the Banyan Tree" by Dilip Chitre

 

1. About the Author: Dilip Chitre

• Dilip Purushottam Chitre (1938–2009) was an important Indian poet, translator, painter, and filmmaker.

• He wrote mainly in Marathi and English, and is known for exploring urban alienation, loss of cultural roots, and personal identity in his works.

• Chitre often portrayed the struggles of modern life and the conflict between tradition and modernization.

• His major works include Father Returning Home, Travelling in a Cage, and translations like Says Tuka (a collection of poems by Sant Tukaram).

• His poetry is known for being simple in language but deep in meaning, filled with powerful imagery and emotional impact.

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2. Detailed Summary: "Felling of the Banyan Tree"

The poem describes a deeply personal and emotional experience — the cutting down of an ancient banyan tree at the poet’s ancestral home in Baroda.

The speaker's father orders the tenants to vacate the houses surrounding their family house on a hill. Gradually, all structures are demolished, and only their own house and trees remain.

The speaker's grandmother used to say that trees are sacred and cutting them is a sin, but his father destroys all the trees around — the sheoga, oudumber, and neem trees. However, the giant banyan tree is more difficult to remove because its roots are very deep, symbolizing a connection with the land, heritage, and family history.

The banyan tree, much taller than their house with a trunk circumference of fifty feet and scraggy aerial roots, represents something old and majestic. Cutting it down was not easy — it took seven days to chop off the branches, and fifty men with axes to finally bring down the massive trunk.

During this, insects and birds living in the tree leave, symbolizing loss of life and natural balance. As the tree falls, the poet and others watch with terror and fascination, realizing it had been standing for around two hundred years — a witness to generations.

After the destruction, the family moves to Bombay (Mumbai) — a modern city with hardly any trees. Yet, the memory of the banyan tree haunts the poet’s dreams, showing that while physical trees can be cut, their emotional and cultural roots remain alive in one’s mind.

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Main Themes:

• Tradition vs Modernization: Conflict between old values (represented by the tree) and new ambitions (represented by the father's actions).

• Loss and Displacement: Leaving behind heritage, nature, and identity.

• Nature and Sacredness: The sacredness of trees in Indian culture.

• Memory and Guilt: The lasting impact of uprooting nature and one’s roots.

Tone and Style:

• Emotional, nostalgic, and mournful tone.

• Simple language, vivid imagery, and symbolism (tree as heritage and identity).

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3. MCQs with Answers:

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1. Which tree was the last to be cut down?
a) Oudumber
b) Neem
c) Sheoga
d) Banyan tree
Answer: d) Banyan tree

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2. What was the circumference of the banyan tree's trunk?
a) Twenty feet
b) Thirty feet
c) Fifty feet
d) Seventy feet
Answer: c) Fifty feet

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3. How long did it take to saw off the branches of the banyan tree?
a) Three days
b) Five days
c) Seven days
d) Ten days
Answer: c) Seven days

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4. Where did the family move after the felling of the tree?
a) Delhi
b) Bombay
c) Baroda
d) Pune
Answer: b) Bombay

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5. What did the banyan tree symbolize for the poet?
a) A modern building
b) A source of food
c) Heritage, tradition, and emotional roots
d) A dangerous forest
Answer: c) Heritage, tradition, and emotional roots

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4. Short Answer Type Questions (with slightly longer answers):

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Q1. Why was the banyan tree difficult to remove?

Answer:
The banyan tree was difficult to remove because it was enormous — three times as tall as the house with a trunk circumference of fifty feet. Its roots ran very deep, symbolizing its strong connection to the land and heritage. Its massive structure and strength made its removal a physically challenging and emotionally painful task.

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Q2. How does the poem present the conflict between tradition and modernization?

Answer:
The poem shows tradition through the grandmother’s reverence for trees, calling them sacred. In contrast, modernization is shown through the father, who orders the trees to be cut for practical reasons. This conflict highlights the loss of nature, cultural values, and the emotional cost of urban expansion.

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Q3. What is the significance of the tree growing in the poet’s dreams?

Answer:
The tree growing in the poet’s dreams symbolizes how memories and cultural roots cannot be erased, even if physically destroyed. Though the poet moves to Bombay, where real trees are rare, the banyan tree continues to live emotionally and mentally, showing the deep, haunting attachment to his past.

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Q4. How does the poet describe the process of cutting down the banyan tree?

Answer:
The poet describes it in vivid and painful detail — first, seven days of sawing the branches, creating a huge heap. Then, fifty men using axes to chop the massive trunk. As the tree was cut, insects and birds fled, and the poet watched this destruction with terror and fascination, recognizing the tree’s two hundred years of life being destroyed.

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Q5. What emotional reaction does the poet express towards the felling of the banyan tree?

Answer:
The poet expresses terror, sadness, and fascination. Watching the ancient tree fall revealed a deep sense of loss, as it symbolized more than just nature — it was about losing history, tradition, and personal roots. The poet mourns the destruction but also understands its inevitable connection to the movement towards modern urban life.