Landmark trees are usually old, tall and leafy trees that serve as a geographical marker in rural areas. In lores and stories of Grand Parents, all night time stories, be it of fantasy, be it of wild animals, the infamous ghost or creatures of myth, all found their nest in the big ood tress. The stories of kings and emperors are full of the majestic banyans under whom they used to camp before their campaigns. As time passed, the colonial administration found the infamous usage of trees where dreaded justice was served to the colonised bodies. The Gandhian ideas of the village were not devoid of trees. Literary works about rusty village life come alive with the ideas of Banyan, Fig, Mango, Peepal, Monkey Pod (Chakunda), and Royal poinciana, being the centre of hustle and bustle in the village. These landmark trees have evolved in modern times to be a space for social, political and economic transactions. Some trees harbour meetings of the panchayat, some provide shade for the government buildings, some provide a canopy for cultural functions and yet some have concretized curbs for the villagers to sit and relax in the evening. This photo essay depicts such frontier trees highlighting their centrality to village life and village institutions. The photos also highlight the role of these trees in any intervention brought about by the state or CSOs where workshops, meetings, luncheon training, etc are held under these comfortable canopies. With such an integral role to play, these trees can truly be seen as the tall members of the village republics.

Sital Kumar is a student enrolled in the Master’s program in Development at Azim Premji University, Bangalore. The photos were collected from 6 blocks of Kalahandi while the curator engaged with Seva Niketan and Kalahandi Gram Sabha Mahasangha.

Acknowledgement – The author expresses his gratitude to Dasrathi Sir, Tribhubhan Sir, Papu Bhai and all the members of Gram Sabhas in Kalahandi for the support in curating this photo essay.

All photos for this essay have been taken by the author with full and informed consent of individuals (both recognisable and non-recognisable).