A holy Buddhist tree, grown from a sapling planted by Mahinda Rajapaksa in India, is dying from “lack of care”.
According to the Hindustan Times, the Bodhi tree branches “were struggling with metallic wire-mesh that had been put over the sapling when it was small”.
The paper also said guards, in charge of security of the sacred tree, were defaecating near it due to the lack of adequate facilities.
"Our duty is to ensure security of the tree and we are doing that despite so many odds. Regarding the disease it is suffering and why it is not being watered regularly, you can contact senior officials," Atar Singh, one of the guards, told the Hindustan Times.
Rajapaksa planted the sapling during his visit to during a 2012 visit to the Sanchi Buddhist world heritage site, where he laid the foundations for the Sanchi University for Buddhist Studies .
Outrage grows over Mahinda visit to India (17 September 2012)
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