Mumbai man keeps 19-year-old promise with 70-foot Christmas tree

While everybody else in Mumbai has been busy decorating a Christmas tree inside their home, Douglas Saldanha has been decorating his Christmas tree, more than 70 feet now, outside his home in Worli. Photos Courtesy: Douglas Saldanha

Every year, Douglas Saldanha spends four months of the year in Mumbai at his home only so that he can keep his promise of decorating the tree to his deceased sister who passed away in 2005.

While everybody else in Mumbai has been busy decorating a Christmas tree inside their home, the Worli resident has been decorating his Christmas tree, more than 70 feet now, outside his home at M.I.G Adarsh Nagar, for more than five decades now. While it was a fun activity with his sister, the very activity has now become a promise that the Mumbaikar intends to keep for as long as he can to her.

He shares, "My sister Twila Saldanha and I used to decorate the tree since our childhood like any other Catholic family. However, when it reached the first floor, we could only decorate it till our hands could reach it. So, it was like a half-decorated tree. Then, my sister got married and went to America and settled down in Houston and was there about 15-17 years before she got the big C - Cervical Cancer. It was a bad period of two-three years, where she went back into remission, but it came back with vengeance and was given only two-three years to live." Three months after they went for a family reunion in March 2005, she passed away in July that year.

SEE PHOTOS: Over 70 feet now, Mumbai man has been decorating his Christmas tree for over 50 years

Keeping a promise
However, before she died, Saldanha says one of her last wishes was that I continue to decorate the Christmas tree so much that she could see it from heaven. "The reasoning being that when she goes up, she won't know our location, but the Christmas tree would be like a lighthouse to know where we are." Such is their emotional bond that Mumbaikar has now been keeping his promise to her since she passed away in 2005 till now while being fully decorated for the last 19 years.

Apart from decorating the tree annually, he says, it is also unique for being the tallest, fully decorated natural Christmas tree in India. "This is the first tallest fully decorated natural Christmas tree in India. The distinction being that there are artificial and natural trees that are taller than my tree is the only one fully decorated." The tree, which he says grows about a little less than 2 feet every year, is approximately 72 feet. Incidentally, Saldanhas got the Christmas tree from their neighbours when it got to 7 feet and was too tall for her balcony. "So, we have seen it grow from 7 feet to 70 feet over the last 55 years," he adds.

Decorating the tree every year
With a tree so tall and his age catching up, the Mumbaikar from Worli says he uses bamboo scaffolding around the tree as a step for people to decorate it and also for stability to the tree so that it doesn't shake, apart from ensuring the safety of the workers who do it for him. The Mumbaikar is still able to decorate the bottom half, owing to his age, and does it with full enthusiasm.

Decorating such a large tree does cost him quite a bit but he intends to keep his promise. While the cost has increased over the years, it now easily costs Saldanha about Rs 3-4 lakhs every year. It not only includes the cost of decoration paraphernalia but also the labour cost involved during the entire period. "I start decorating the tree for Diwali, which is done by two gardeners, and then I decorate it for Christmas, and finally Republic Day in the colours of the national flag." With a mix of Santa Claus and other decorations, the tree is illuminated by almost 20,000 lights.

For Saldanha, who spends for four months and the rest overseas, is now trying to build a culture around the tree in Mumbai that goes beyond Christmas. While Saldanha also decorates it for Diwali and Republic Day, he wants to turn the tree into something much larger to call it "the tree of hope". "My place has a lot of positive vibes and through this tree if we can empower people who have lost hope and have a session with them to help them in some manner. I plan to do it once every month, so I am training a small team, who can do this in my absence," shares Saldanha, as he welcomes anybody and everybody who wants to see the tree this season.