The Saldanha family in Mumbai becomes the centre of attraction of millions of Indians every year - it’s rightly, as the tallest Christmas tree in India grows in their tiny garden. The magnificent 22-metre high fir tree is lavishly decorated with toys and garlands at Christmas time, starting at least a fortnight in advance, and it becomes a 'pilgrimage’ place for Mumbaikars and the guest of the city - to the well-deserved pride of the fir tree owners.
Over 10,000 twinkling colourful fairy lights, cherubic angels and fairies, reindeer and snowmen, bells, streamers and festoons, and a beaming paunchy Santa Claus waving from the ‘cotton snow’ adorn this famous and majestic Christmas tree to the very top, nearly at the height of a seven-storeyed building.
Its main keeper, Douglas Saldanha, the eldest in the family, spends at least 100,000 rupees (almost $1,500) to decorate their coniferous treasure.
A fir tree is not a typical plant to grow in central India, and it appeared in the Saldanha’s garden almost by a miracle. Over four decades ago, Saldanha’s neighbour grew this tree on his verandah. But it was already too tall and he sold it to Henry Saldanha, Douglas’s father, for a paltry Rs 250 ($4). This was peanuts considering Christmas trees were very costly in the markets even in the 1970s,” smiles Saldanha. “My elder sibling, the 14-year-old Twila, and I were delighted! Its lowest branches spread out around 4 metres. With the help of our father and mom, we lovingly re-planted it in the ground, and joyfully watched it grow healthy and strong, saw if the branches were ‘sad’ or not.”
The brother and sister looked after the fir-tree and regularly watered it, and after Twila married an Indian living in California and moved to the United States, the brother remained the only ‘guardian’ of the majestic plant. “For the past 45 years, I’ve been talking to this tree and taking care of it,” says Douglas. He adds that it is his whole family. After his sister expired 12 years ago, the fir tree has been his only soul, his relationship with his parents, with Twila, who looks from heaven on how their family Christmas tree shines festively, and they smile.
Numerous guests coming to see the Christmas tree smile, too. Every year, especially during the season of festivals from December to January, many people come to look at the giant fir tree, take a picture of it, or better, take a selfie, and leave under the great impression of what they saw here.
