NPR’s international reporters share snippets of their life and work from all across the world in their weekly series, Far-Flung Postcards.
When I travel in India, banyan trees are always with me. These trees spread out and send down roots that resemble ropes that kids can hang on from their branches. Oil lamps are frequently positioned reverently at the tangle of banyan roots in both Muslim and Hindu communities, where the tree is revered as a source of life. Strips of fabric occasionally fly from branches in the hopes that prayers may be heard.
Like this one I spotted in late spring in Dingucha village in the western state of Gujarat, the trees also provide shade. These men were taking a rest next to a stall selling paan, a concoction of ground betel nut and flavorings, while sitting motionless in the late afternoon heat. As though I had entered an antique snapshot, the light had a sepia tone, so I started taking pictures. However, the stream of young ladies I observed passing by did not have this kind of reprieve. They were holding large pots of water on their heads, a difficult task that they occasionally had to perform multiple times a day.
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