Gania: In a bizarre incident, a Neem tree in Karadapada village under Gania block in Nayagarh district has been producing milk-like fluid for the past three days.
It has become a major source of attraction for devotees and believers in a short span of time.
Hundreds of locals have been gathering at the village after the news about the tree secreting milk spread. Believing it to be a divine miracle, the villagers have transformed the tree into a place of worship.
The tree that has turned into a place of worship and its secreted fluid is being considered as ‘sacred’ by the people of the village. The fully-grown tree has been the talk of town and hundreds of people are flocking in everyday to worship this tree and are offering their prayers.
According to the residents, who did taste the fluid said that it tasted sweet. A village priest arrived on the spot to offer puja to the tree. Not just that, the local vendors were seen selling snacks to the “devotees”. Locals said that people are collecting the liquid and distributing it as Prasad after offering prayers.
At first, a local Prabhakar Nayak spotted milk oozing out of the decade-old tree and alerted other locals. Soon, hundreds of locals flocked to the area as the news spread like wildfire.
People have started worshipping the tree by offering diyas and lights. Meanwhile, locals urged the administration to develop a temple near the tree and make it a tourist place. On the other hand, the administration officials are yet to react in this connection.
However, some experts suggest that this is no divine occurrence or a miracle, but a scientific occurrence. Neem trees have gum-ducts, the tree might be secreting milk like sap due to a fungal or an insect invasion.
It isn’t the first time, such incident has been reported. Earlier, similar incident was reported from Ramnagar area in Kendrapara district where again the faithful lost no time in worshiping the neem tree as something like a divine entity.
PNN