Peepal

Babu was part of a team that transplanted peepal and ficus trees from Delhi University a few years ago, a process that cost Rs 1 lakh, he said.

This is a wedding between a Mangalik and either a statue of Vishnu or a Peepal tree or banana tree.

While peepal, ficus, semal and sheesham are tolerant to transplantation, trees such as dak, palash, arjun, shahtoot and jhilmil are not.

In Kyathanahalli, where KSP lived all his life, a group of villagers sits under a sprawling peepal tree, playing pagade, an ancient board game.

Peepal Tree Press states that he attended an Anglican school in Leguan and later worked as a schoolteacher in the North West District, and then teaching English and Hindi at the Hindu College, Cove and John.