I recently attended a ‘Tree Parichay’, organised by INTACH Bengaluru chapter. INTACH is an organisation dedicated to the conservation of heritage. And I must admit, I would not have thought of trees as an integral part of our heritage before this walk.
The walk was ably led by a botanist, Ganeshram Esh, and was help on the 12th Main Road of Indiranagar. It was well attended by over 15 participants from different walks of life united by an interest in trees.
The location itself was interesting for the participants, being a busy suburban road. But as Ganesh explained, the city of Bengalure was planned as a garden city and this thoroughfare itself has over 60 varieties of trees from all over the World. In our two hour walk, we came across specimens from South America, Africa, South East Asia and Australia, in addition to native species.
In addition to just visually observing the trees, we were also encourages to explore the trees by the other senses – touch and smell. And this definitely added a different dimension to the experience.
Sanjay Varma 