Mother of Trees Saalumarada Thimmakka Passes Away: A Life Dedicated to Environmental Service
Saalumarada Thimmakka (114), renowned as the Mother of Trees for planting thousands of saplings, nurturing them like her own children, and dedicating her life to environmental conservation, has passed away. The news of her demise has plunged environmental lovers across the country into grief.
A Life of Great Service
The Mother of Trees: Saalumarada Thimmakka hailed from the Magadi taluka, Ramanagara district of Karnataka state. Since she and her husband had no children, they began fostering trees, treating the saplings as their own kids.
Extraordinary Effort: For over 80 years, she tirelessly planted and cared for thousands (over 300) of Banyan trees (and other trees), watering and protecting them, particularly along a 4.5-kilometer stretch of the National Highway between Hulikhal and Kudoor.
Meaning of 'Saalumarada': In the Kannada language, 'Saalumarada' means 'row of trees'. This title was prefixed to her name in recognition of her monumental work.
Honours Received
In recognition of her selfless service, Thimmakka received several high honours both nationally and internationally:
Padma Shri Award: The Government of India honoured her with the Padma Shri award in the year 2019.
National Citizen’s Award: She also received the National Citizen’s Award.
She received accolades from various environmental organizations in the United States as well.
Her work highlighted the necessity of environmental protection and the bond between humanity and nature to the world. Thimmakka's simple life serves as an inspiration for future generations.
Her death is an irreplaceable loss to environmental service. The thousands of trees she planted will keep her memory alive.
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