Piplantri: One girl, 111 saplings

Day 16 of the "virtual (digital) tour" of places known for unusual customs, practices, mysterious phenomena. This post is part of the A to Z Challenge and Blogchatter A2Z 2026

This is about a beautiful tradition in the village of Piplantri in the north Indian state of Rajasthan.  

It’s simple: every time a baby girl is born, the community comes together to plant 111 saplings. This specific number is chosen because it is considered auspicious in local culture.  

HOW IT ALL BEGAN  

The movement began in 2006, led by the former village head, Shyam Sundar Paliwal. After losing his 17‑year‑old daughter, Kiran, he planted a tree in her memory and decided to turn his personal grief into a programme that would benefit every girl in the village.  

Since then, the villagers have planted an incredible number of trees transforming what was once dry, barren land into a lush green oasis. The number of trees planted range from 286,000 to over 350,000. 

SECURING THE FUTURE  

The practice goes far beyond simply planting trees. To ensure each girl has a bright future, the village takes several important steps. 

• The villagers and parents contribute money to open a fixed deposit account in a bank for the girl. This sum, roughly Rs 31,000, can be accessed when she turns 18 or 20 to pay for her education or wedding.  
  
  
• Parents must sign an affidavit pledging that they will not marry their daughters off before the legal age of 18 and that they will ensure she receives a proper education.  
  
  
• Families don’t just plant the saplings; they must nurture them as they grow, just as they nurture their daughters.  

Image courtesy: BBC

HELPING EARTH, HELPING ECONOMY  

This “eco‑feminist” approach has changed the local environment. As the trees grew, groundwater levels rose, bringing more water back to the parched region.  

The village also found a clever way to protect their new forest from pests: they planted millions of Aloe vera plants around the trees to act as a natural barrier against termites.  

This created a new business for local women, who now run cooperatives to process Aloe vera into juices and gels to sell, providing them with their own income.  

A MODEL FOR CHANGE  

In Piplantri more girls now attend the local school than boys, and the social status of women has greatly improved. 

The village has even set up a training centre to teach others the “Piplantri Model” so that more communities can learn how to protect the environment and empower their daughters at the same time.  

What a wonderful example of how a small community can solve problems with a little bit of love, hard work, and, of course, a lot of trees.

(Information sources: BBC, The Times of India, The Hindustan Times, News 18, Earth Day)

Previous posts in the series

Asur	Bhangarh	Channapatna dog temple
Dhinga Gavar	Edakkal caves	Floating stones
Ghost lights	Hakki Pikki	Idu Mishmi
Jatinga	Kodinhi	Living root bridges
Malana	Nidhivan	Om Banna Temple

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Om Banna Temple

Day 15 of the "virtual (digital) tour" of places known for unusual customs, practices, mysterious phenomena. This post is part of the A to Z Challenge and Blogchatter A2Z 2026

The Om Banna Temple, also known as the Bullet Baba Temple, is located near Chotila village in the Pali district along National Highway 62 between Jodhpur and Ahmedabad, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan. 

This shrine is unusual in that its central deity is a 350cc Royal Enfield Bullet, and it has become a legendary stop for those seeking a safe journey.

WHY MOTORCYCLE

Om Singh Rathore, the son of a local village leader, was affectionately known as Om Banna. On 2 December 1988, while riding his motorcycle, he lost control and struck a tree, dying at the scene.

What followed makes the story of the temple truly mysterious.

Local authorities moved the motorcycle to the nearest police station, but the next morning the bike was gone. It was eventually discovered back at the site of the accident.

Surprised, the police took the bike back, emptied its fuel tank, and secured it with chains and locks. Despite these measures, the legend says, the motorcycle mysteriously returned to the ditch where it had first fallen before dawn the next day.

Image courtesy: NDTV

RITUALS

The primary object of worship, the Royal Enfield Bullet (RNJ 7773), is now housed in a protective glass box. While devotees bring traditional offerings such as flowers, incense, and sweets, it is also common for people to present bottles of alcohol to honour the spirit of Om Banna.

In a unique twist on traditional tilak ceremonies, worshippers apply the sacred mark of tilak to the bike’s headlight and tie red threads to the motorcycle. The tree that Om Banna struck during his fatal accident is also considered part of the shrine; it is heavily ornamented with offerings of bangles and scarves.

Locals and travellers believe that Om Banna’s spirit remains at the site to help distressed travellers. Some even claim to have seen a mysterious figure riding the motorcycle along the highway at night.

Whether viewed as a miracle or a fascinating piece of local folklore, the object of devotion is something unusual: a motorcycle that serves as a “guardian angel” for thousands of travellers every year. It's all about faith!

(Information sources: NDTV, ABC News)

Previous posts in the series

Asur	Bhangarh	Channapatna dog temple
Dhinga Gavar	Edakkal caves	Floating stones
Ghost lights	Hakki Pikki	Idu Mishmi
Jatinga	Kodinhi	Living root bridges
Malana	Nidhivan

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Nidhivan, the mystical forest

Day 14 of the "virtual (digital) tour" of places known for unusual customs, practices, mysterious phenomena. This post is part of the A to Z Challenge and Blogchatter A2Z 2026

In the holy town of Vrindavan in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura district, is Nidhivan a forest dedicated to Radha and Krishna. There is an aura of mytery associated with this sacred grove.

The short Tulasi or Holy Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) trees of Nidhivan grow in pairs, their trunks entwined as though locked in eternal embrace. Despite the dry land, these trees remain lush and green throughout the year. Curiously, their trunks are hollow, and they all bend towards the ground.

Nidhivan - Image courtesy: Vrindavan

RASLILA BELIEF

It is believed that Radha and Krishna perform the Raslila, the celestial dance, here every night. According to legend, the paired Tulasi trees transform into Gopis (milkmaids who are devotees of Lord Krishna) at dusk, joining the divine dance, only to return to their tree form at dawn.

Within Nidhivan are revered shrines, including the Rang Mahal, said to be the resting place of Radha and Krishna, and the Sri Bansichori Radharani Temple. 

SACRED RULE OF NIGHTFALL

No human or animal is permitted to remain inside Nidhivan after sunset. Even monkeys and peacocks that roam the forest during the day leave as evening falls. 

Local belief warns that anyone who dares to stay overnight risks blindness, madness, misfortune, or even death. Such is the sanctity of this rule that nearby residents have sealed their windows with bricks to avoid accidentally glimpsing the forest at night.

In 2021, a YouTuber who broke the rule and trespassed into Nidhivan at night to film was arrested and sent to judicial custody, on charges of violating local rules.

BEYOND EXPLANATION

Science hasn't been able to fully and conclusively prove the unusual phenomena there. But for the millions of devotees it's not about any reason or evidence. It's more about emotion, what is felt in their hearts.

(Information sources: The Times of India, The Hindustan Times, News18, Wikipedia)

Previous posts in the series

Asur	Bhangarh	Channapatna dog temple
Dhinga Gavar	Edakkal caves	Floating stones
Ghost lights	Hakki Pikki	Idu Mishmi
Jatinga	Kodinhi	Living root bridges
Malana

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Malana: Don't touch the villagers

Day 13 of the "virtual (digital) tour" of places known for unusual customs, practices, mysterious phenomena. This post is part of the A to Z Challenge and Blogchatter A2Z 2026

Malana is a village situated at an altitude of 2,652 metres in the Parvati Valley of Himachal Pradesh, in northern India.

While the place is geographically part of India, the villagers, numbering around 4,500 follow their own ancient system of governance and justice. 

The village is administered by a bicameral parliament, consisting of an upper house called the Jayeshthang and a lower house known as the Kanishthang.

However, the ultimate authority is not human; the village is ruled by its deity, Jamlu Devta. All major administrative decisions are believed to be direct decrees from Jamlu, communicated through a spiritual spokesperson known as the Gur.

Image courtesy: BBC / © Sauriêl Creative |
Samantha Leigh Scholl/Alamy

'NO TOUCHING' RULE

Perhaps the most unique custom is the village's strict taboo on physical contact. To preserve the "purity" of their community, residents prohibit outsiders from touching them, their belongings, or their sacred temples.

Touching a temple or a designated holy place can result in an immediate fine ranging from ₹2,500 to ₹3,500.

When buying items from a local shop, visitors are expected to leave their money on the counter or the ground rather than handing it directly to the shopkeeper.

Villagers have even been known to bathe immediately if they are accidentally touched by an outsider, in order to wash away the perceived misfortune.

MALANA CREAM

Beyond its customs, Malana is renowned for "Malana Cream", a strain of hashish. It is produced using a specific hand-rubbing technique that extracts resin from live cannabis plants. The possession of cannabis is illegal under Indian law. 

While all these unusual customs and practices have drawn significant number of tourists, the villagers themselves remain very protective of their culture.

(Information sources: BBC, The Times of India, The Hindustan Times)

Previous posts in the series

Asur	Bhangarh	Channapatna dog temple
Dhinga Gavar	Edakkal caves	Floating stones
Ghost lights	Hakki Pikki	Idu Mishmi
Jatinga	Kodinhi	Living root bridges

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Living root bridges

Day 12 of the "virtual (digital) tour" of places known for unusual customs, practices, mysterious phenomena. This post is part of the A to Z Challenge and Blogchatter A2Z 2026

This is indigenous ingenuity at its best. These "living root bridges" are commonly found in the north-eastern Indian state of Meghalaya, specifically within the Khasi and Jaintia Hills. They are locally known as Jingkieng Jri.

Unlike traditional bridges made of dead wood, steel, or concrete, these are biological systems that continue to grow and evolve while in use.

HOW THEY ARE MADE

It takes anywhere from 15 to 30 years for such a bridge to be made and become functional. Villagers take the young, pliable aerial roots of the rubber fig tree (Ficus elastica) and guide them across a river. 

To direct the growth, builders often use bamboo or wooden scaffolds, or even hollowed-out areca palm trunks. These trunks not only guide the roots but also protect them and provide nutrients as the palm wood decays.

Through a process called "inosculation", the roots intertwine and fuse together over time, forming a dense, stable frame. Villagers continue to prune and manipulate new roots to strengthen the structure.

A doubledecker living root bridge in
Nongriat, Meghalaya. -- The Guardian/David Talukdar/Alamy

ARE THEY STRONG?

Yes, they are. One of their most remarkable features is that, unlike man-made materials that weaken with age, these bridges grow stronger and self-repair as the trees mature. They are specifically designed to withstand the violent flash floods and storm surges of Meghalaya, which often wash away modern steel or concrete alternatives.

It can typically carry 30 or more people at once. For example, the mature bridge in Riwai, Meghalaya, has been witnessed carrying up to 35 people simultaneously, demonstrating the immense load-bearing capacity of these living fibrous networks.

IN OTHER PLACES

Such bridges are not exclusive to Meghalaya. Similar living root structures have been documented in the state of Nagaland and on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Java, where they are crafted by the Baduy people. The concept has inspired modern researchers in Europe to explore living architecture using different species to create greener urban environments.

Some notable bridges, such as the famous Double Decker bridge in Nongriat, Meghalaya, are estimated to be at least 200 years old, while others may be even older. The earliest known written record by an outsider was by Henry Yule in 1844.

(Information sources: BBC, United Nations Development Programme, Meghalaya Biodiversity Board, Outlook Traveller)

Previous posts in the series:

Asur	Bhangarh	Channapatna dog temple
Dhinga Gavar	Edakkal caves	Floating stones
Ghost lights	Hakki Pikki	Idu Mishmi
Jatinga	Kodinhi

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Kodinhi, India's village of twins

Day 11 of the "virtual (digital) tour" of places known for unusual customs, practices, mysterious phenomena. This post is part of the A to Z Challenge and Blogchatter A2Z 2026

Kodinhi is a village in the Malappuram district of north Kerala, and its claim to global fame lies in the unusually high number of twins born here.

The village has around 2,000 families, and there are more than 400 pairs of twins. The twin birth rate is about 45 per 1,000 births, compared to India’s average of 9 per 1,000.

THE DISCOVERY

How this phenomenon was discovered is interesting. In 2006, in a classroom, two twin sisters noticed that there were several other pairs like them. What started as simple curiosity soon turned into a small survey, which revealed that this was no coincidence.

By 2008, a village-wide effort confirmed the astonishing numbers. This led to the creation of the Twins and Kins Association (TAKA), a unique organisation in India that supports families with twins and multiple births.

Image courtesy: NDTV

THE REASON

Scientists, including teams from Europe, have studied the village and even collected DNA samples in search of answers. Yet, no conclusive corelation has been established as to why this particular place has such a high number of twins.

Some researchers suggest that something in the local water or air may play a role, but no specific element has been identified. Another belief is that the local diet could be a factor. In some parts of the world, foods like yam are thought to increase the chances of twins. However, Kodinhi residents largely follow a typical Kerala diet of rice and coconut, which makes this theory uncertain.

Genetics seems like an obvious explanation, but it does not fully fit. While some families have a history of twins, others do not. Interestingly, women from Kodinhi have been known to give birth to twins even after moving away from the village.

THREE OTHER PLACES

Kodinhi is not alone. Similar patterns have been observed in places such as Igbo-Ora in Nigeria, Cândido Godói in Brazil, and Hung Loc Commune in Vietnam.

Though this unusual phenomenon has brought recognition to the village, reports have suggested that it has also placed financial strain on families. Most residents are engaged in farming and small businesses, and raising twins often results in financial challenges.

(Information sources: BBC, The News Minute, Outlook Traveller, The Times of India, NDTV, Money Control, Wikipedia)

Previous posts in the series

Asur	Bhangarh	Channapatna dog temple
Dhinga Gavar	Edakkal caves	Floating stones
Ghost lights	Hakki Pikki	Idu Mishmi
Jatinga

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