Mumbai: Tallest Christmas tree in India grows in Worli

Over 10000 twinkling colourful fairy lights cherubic angels and fairies reindeer and snowmen bells streamers and festoons tiny crosses and a beaming paunchy Santa Claus waving from the cotton snow adorn this famous and majestic Christmas tree said to be the tallest in India At a staggering 65 feet or nearly the height of a sevenstoreyed building the pine conifer has entered the record books as Indias tallest fully decorated natural growing Christmas tree in a tiny garden in Adarsh Nagar a private residential society in south Mumbais Worli neighbourhoodI have been tending to it for the past 45 years Earlier my sister Twila used to help me out However after her death in June 2005 I have been doing it alone a proud Douglas Saldanha the owner of the Christmas tree told IANS The Saldanhas family history is deeply entwined with that of the magnificent Christmas tree since it joined the downtoearth fourmember family the late Henry Saldanha his wife Grace their late daughter Twila and son Douglas The family originally hails from MangaloreThere was a neighbour over four decades ago who grew it on his verandah But at five feet it was already too tall and he couldnt manage it He sold it to me for a paltry Rs 250 4 This was peanuts considering Christmas trees were very costly in the markets even in the 1970s said Saldanha pointing out that the tree was growing straight into the clouds with the lowest branches spreading out from around 12 feet Barely 12 then Saldanha and his elder sibling the 14yearold Twila lovingly replanted it in the ground regularly watered it and joyfully watched it grow healthy and strong At Christmas time we lavishly decorate it starting at least a fortnight in advance with friends and relatives occasionally joining in Saldanha saidIn 1991 Twila got married to an NRI Jude Bellow and went to settle in the US leaving her brother as the sole guardian of the Christmas tree Ever year particularly during the DecemberJanuary festive season scores of people walk in to gape at the gigantic tree click picturesselfies and leave silent and awestruck Twila trained as a nurse in the US and lived a joyous life with her CAturnedrealtor husband Jude in Houston till tragedy struck in 2002Suddenly the family was shattered to learn that Twila was suffering from cancer She recovered with the help of doctors and my mother Grace who went there to take care of her Shockingly a couple of years later there was a severe relapse and she succumbed in June 2005 Saldanha said Whenever the family visited her in the US or when she came down to her maternal home in Worli Twila would first enquire about her favourite Christmas tree how it was growing and whether it was being cared for properly and all other stories associated with it in her absence In fact it was her dying wish that I should decorate the Christmas tree so beautifully that she should be able to view and enjoy it from Heaven Saldanha said in an emotional voiceSince then he has spared no effort or expense to ensure that Twilas favourite Christmas tree is not only the biggest and best in Mumbai but all over India As it grows taller each year we believe that Twilas spirit resides in this Christmas tree It exudes so much love and warmth for all those who see or touch it Absolute strangers walk in to see it and walk out as old friends Saldanha said Saldanha narrates a miracle associated with their beloved Christmas tree concerning his 87yearold father Henry a retired structural engineer who was part of the team that developed Tata City in Jamshedpur many many decades agoOver the past couple of decades Henry was struck with cancer first in 2004 of the prostate and later in the cheek but he survived and fully recovered to live a normal and happy life In between he suffered five serious heart attacks underwent open heart surgery and seven other major surgeries but he conquered them all to continue living in the protective shadow of his favourite Christmas tree Douglas said his beloved dad passed away peacefully in March this year aged 87 leaving only his 83year old widow Grace and son to nurture the tree now This year he has spent over Rs 100000 on decorating the tree to fulfill his fathers last wish Celebrate my life dont mourn for me Twila and I shall see our Christmas tree from the heavens To continue looking after his aged mother and also the Christmas tree Saldanha a financial consultant with a multinational chose to remain a bachelor I just want to be a good son to her now the 56year old said having turned down many attractive marriage proposals in his younger daysCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news current affairs from Mumbai local news crime news and breaking headlines here