Xmas Vibes | India's Tallest Natural Christmas Tree

By Gajanan Khergamker

Today, Douglas Saldanha gazes at the towering 70-feet-tall Christmas tree at his family home in Mumbai, with a sense of profound pride and quiet reflection. Adorned with a Star perched on its zenith, the tree has become a beacon of resilience, faith, and familial love.

This Christmas, it stands as an emblem of strength, a testament to the promises and prayers that bind a family across realms. For Douglas, it is more than a tree—it is a living memory, a silent witness to his journey through life’s most testing trials.

Douglas with his Christmas tree standing tall, till date

“Twila, my sister, vowed to watch over me from heaven,” Douglas recalls. Her promise, made before her untimely demise to cancer, echoes in his heart, a comfort that endures. Now, she has been joined by their parents, Henry and Grace, who have become part of the celestial audience watching over him.

“I don’t feel alone at all,” he admits, his voice tinged with wistful courage. This season marks his first Christmas spent entirely alone at home, yet he remains surrounded by their invisible presence. “Dad passed away on 17 March 2017, at the age of 88, and Mum followed on 23 March 2022, at 87,” he reflects. The tree, growing ever taller over the decades, now towers beside him, a steadfast companion through the seasons of life.

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The tree itself is a spectacle, bedecked with over 50,000 lights, captivating the gaze of all who pass by during the festive season. For the Saldanha family, it represents the unwavering power of prayer, the unyielding strength of perseverance, and the unbreakable bond of a family united by faith. It is a silent yet vivid storyteller of their shared moments of triumph and tribulation.

CUT TO 2011

The scene shifts to October 2011, a harrowing period etched deeply in Douglas’s memory. On a business trip to Bangkok, he was abruptly informed that his father, Henry, had suffered a left ventricular failure. As Henry drifted in and out of consciousness, Douglas’s world seemed to collapse. “No…this can’t happen,” Douglas had thought desperately. “I have so many things left to tell him, to do with him. God can’t be doing this to me.”

Twila (centre) with parents

In his darkest hour, Douglas made a heartfelt plea to the divine. “Take away all I have, just for that one extra day with him.” Miraculously, his prayer was answered. Within 48 hours of Douglas’s return, Henry, affectionately called the ‘Miracle Man’ by the medical fraternity, defied all odds. He rose from what many believed would be his final battle—a fourth heart attack—having already survived two bouts of cancer.

That Christmas, Douglas celebrated his father’s miraculous recovery by gifting him a 40-inch HD television, so Henry could watch his beloved cricket matches in comfort and style. With the support of younger Uncle Terence, who came over to assist, the Saldanha home brimmed with joy and gratitude.

A YEAR EARLIER, IN 2010

Douglas had made a solemn promise to his late sister Twila—to prioritise his family above all else. “The tree, which was bought over 30 years ago from a neighbour for just Rs 200, has been a constant in our lives,” Douglas shares. Decorating the tree had been a cherished tradition for the siblings, one that continued even after Twila left for the US in 1990. When she was diagnosed with cancer in 2002, their father, Henry, fervently prayed to take her suffering upon himself—a wish that was heartbreakingly granted. While Twila went into remission, Henry was diagnosed with small cell carcinoma of the bladder.

In 2005, Twila’s cancer relapsed. Her final wish was to have a family reunion. Despite Henry’s fragile health, Douglas ensured the family travelled to the US, where they spent precious time with Twila. On 5 June 2005, she passed away peacefully, leaving behind a poignant request: “Keep decorating the tree. It’s so tall that I’ll be able to see it from the heavens.”

The tree symbolises the solemn promise Douglas had made to his late sister Twila

From that day onward, Douglas dedicated himself to fulfilling her wish. Every Christmas, he ensures the tree is adorned with unmatched splendour, a radiant symbol visible to his sister and family in the heavens.

Today as Douglas sips on a glass of wine this season, he finds solace in reams of photographs and videos capturing moments with his parents, sister, and the tree. The tree, now an awe-inspiring monument, stands as a bridge between the past and the present, between the earthly and the divine. Its formidable height, as Douglas believes, allows his family to look down from the skies and see the legacy of love and resilience they left behind.

In the quiet glow of the festive lights, Douglas Saldanha’s story resonates as a powerful testament to the enduring spirit of family, the strength found in faith, and the indomitable will to keep promises, no matter the odds.

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