At Bihar Koteshwarnath Temple Branches of a Peepal Tree Are Moving Towards the Temple

Koteshwarnath Temple at Main Village near Belaganj in Gaya District in Bihar is famous for the Sahastra Lingi Baba Koteshwarnath - huge Shivling which has a thousand Shivling chiseled on it. There is an old peepal tree near the temple whose large branches have turned towards the temple bending downwards as if offering prayers to Lord Shiva. The tree only has one-sided growth of its branches and it is towards the temple.

Times of India reports 

As per the CM's directive, a communique of the principal secretary, art, culture and youth affairs department, Chanchal Kumar, is being sent to the Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun, to take measures to conserve the peepal tree and determine its age and study the scientific reason behind the one-sided growth of its branches towards the temple, said director of archaeology, Bihar government, Atul Kumar Verma. 

The CM was surprised to see the one-sided growth of the peepal tree branches. The FRI had, in its report, described it as salutation to the temple. The CM had asked the officials to request the FRI to take measures to protect the tree like it was protecting the sacred Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya. The tree is situated 100 metres north of the temple. 

Verma said the temple is one of the most ancient ones in Bihar, dating back to transition phase between late Gupta and Pal period. This finding is derived from the architecture of the temple, particularly the magnificent pink coloured single stone pillars constructed around 6th century AD, he said.