Banyan trees are significant in India, providing life and shade. In both Hindu and Muslim areas, they are revered, often adorned with oil lamps and cloth strips for prayers. One scene outside Dingucha village showcases men resting under a banyan tree in late spring, while nearby, young women laboriously balance heavy water pots multiple times each day. This highlights the stark contrast between moments of respite and the daily struggles faced by many.
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. The trees are also shade-giving, like this one I saw in late spring outside Dingucha village in the western state of Gujarat.
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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