Greetings from Gujarat, India, where a banyan tree is a place for rest, prayers and play

Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR’s international correspondents share snapshots of moments from their lives and work around the world.

Banyan trees are my constant companion as I travel in India. These trees sprawl out, sending down roots that grow from their branches like ropes that children swing on. In both Hindu and Muslim areas, it’s not unusual to see oil lamps nestled in reverence at the tangle of banyan roots — the tree is seen as life-giving. Sometimes, there are strips of cloth fluttering off branches in hopes of prayers answered.

The trees are also shade-giving, like this one I saw in late spring outside Dingucha village in the western state of Gujarat. These men were sitting quite still in the late-afternoon heat, catching a break next to a stall that sells paan, a mixture of ground betel nut and flavorings. The light looked sepia-toned — as if I’d stepped into an old photograph — and I began snapping. There was no such respite, though, for the stream of young women I saw walking past, balancing heavy pots of water on their heads — a grueling task they’re sometimes expected to repeat several times a day.

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