Fertile Mother of Trees

# World Environment Day

          The Mother of Trees

        She was humiliated as' infertile, barren ' by her relatives. Her only blunder was that she couldn't give birth to the child and completed her family. She was ridiculed by saying that Childless parents never attain salvation.

But luckily this woman was bestowed with an understanding and caring husband. He stood by her in every step she strived. Both visited many pilgrimages, temples, shrines. Performed many poojas and rituals. One of the rituals that they carried out, blessed the couple with 385 offsprings.

Isn't it unbelievable! yes, such a miracle happened with Timmakka and Chikkaaiah of Gubbi taluk, Tumkur district Karnataka.

Her 385 children were Banyan trees she planted along 4 kilometre stretch of highway starting from Hulikal to Kudur in Karnataka state. Hence she is popularly known as Saalumarada Timmakka. ' Saalumara ' in Kannada means row of trees. 

Apart from Banyan trees, she has planted 8000 other trees also. These trees are all grown up and form a beautiful canopy giving shade to passers-by and shelter to many birds.

Timmakka and Chikkaaiah started this just as a ritual seeking a child, but God blessed them with such a beautiful thought of growing trees and spreading greenery all-around.

In the beginning, it was just a ritual later on it became their passion.

The couple was living in poverty in a thatched but. Timmakk worked as a labourer in a nearby quarry. She managed to plant 10 saplings along 5 kilometres, out of her little wages. Year after year they increased the number by 15 to 20. The couple used to carry water in a bucket and watered the plants for 4 kilometres, they fenced the plants with thorny shrubs to protect them from stray cattle. They cared for the trees like their children. So Timmakka is also known as the Mother of trees She lived in a worn-out hut. Finally, in 2004 Karnataka government built a house for her.

Out of 385 trees planted by her has the amounts to 1.5 billion rupees but she never expected anything in return.

She did receive many awards, but awards don't rule out poverty.

In 1995, she got her first award National Citizen's Award.

Recently in 2020, she received the prestigious Padmashri award from our honourable President Ramnath Kovind, the image of 104-year-old Timmakka with a blessing hands on our honourable president became viral. President himself tweeted how privileged he felt in taking the blessings of Timmakka the oldest Padma awardee.

Me being Kannadiga, it's an immense pleasure and pride to write a blog on Salumarada Timmakka a true inspiration on the occasion of World Environment Day.

Protecting and nurturing our mother earth is the important responsibility of every human being living on earth. Destroying earth in the name of development is foolishness, it's just devastating our home. If we want to see our children drink pure water, breath pure air and live in a healthy environment then save our environment.

      Hope this blog of mine give a brief introduction about Timmakka and her good deeds. Hope this inspires all my readers to protect the environment in their little way.

Little drops of water make the mighty ocean.

Mrunalini Agarkhed