A 200-year-old Magizham tree, the sthala vriksham (sacred tree) of the 2,000-year-old Somanathar Temple at Needur near Mayiladuthurai, was uprooted following recent rains, leaving devotees distressed, as reported in Dinamalar.
The ancient temple is believed to date back nearly 2,000 years and is one of the Paadal Petra Sthalams, where the revered Shaivite saints Sundarar and Thirugnana Sambandar composed and sang Devaram hymns in the seventh century CE. According to temple legends, the shrine was built by Indra.
The Magizham tree, which had stood within the temple premises for nearly 200 years, reportedly weakened due to insect infestation inside its trunk. Following the recent rains, the tree suddenly collapsed, roots and all.
Devotees expressed grief over the loss of the ancient sacred tree. Workers engaged by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department have undertaken the task of cutting and removing the fallen tree.
Devotees have urged the temple authorities to preserve the legacy of the tree by using genetic propagation methods to grow a sapling from it and replant it at the same location, ensuring that the temple’s traditional sthala vriksham is restored.
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