Kanchanaburi officials say they cannot take down a century-old Bodhi tree which blocks a road linking two villages because it is home to a ghost – and lucky.
Locals believe the Bodhi tree is possessed with spiritual powers, and officials are negotiating with adjacent landowners to extend the road on each side of the tree instead of knocking it down, according to Mayor Abhisama Bhodharamkul.
“The villagers believe that Bodhi is the type of tree that Lord Buddha sat under when he attained Enlightenment. It’s something villagers respect, so we respect that too, because we are also Buddhists,” Abhisama Bhodharamkul told Khaosod English.
The tree has cursed, driven mad or destroyed the equipment of those who would harm it, she added.
“In the past someone tried to cut it down but went insane instead,” Abhisama said. “Another person tried to use a backhoe to clear it but the vehicle just broke down.”
The tree existed before the road was paved and as now, locals used to trundle their carts around it.
To fix the problem, the officials will negotiate to buy the surrounding land from private owners and decorate to holy tree with lights to stop people from driving right into it, Matichon reported.
Photos: Dodeden
