KOCHI: The Afforestation initiatives in the State gained momentum in recent years, with the new trend of planting trees associated with the birth stars of human beings’ becoming popular.
Most of the government-owned nurseries are facing shortage of saplings of plants that are associated with zodiac signs, after religious bodies and cultural organisations taking up the new trend of star sign-based plantation.
“The Social Department often depends on private nurseries to get saplings of near-extinct varieties of trees that are associated with the zodiac signs,” said senior officials associated with the Social Forestry Department.“Cashing in on the new trend, the Department has decided to set up 1,000 Nakshatravanams in the State this year, along with 1,400 Kuttivanams and 700 herbal gardens,” said IFS Head of Forest Force Dr B S Corrie.
Speaking to ‘Express’, Travancore Devaswom Board president M P Govindan Nair said the Board had launched a project to plant trees associated with zodiac signs in around 1,248 temples under it, in association with various temple committees and devotees. Now, the Board is planning to launch a project to plant wild trees like teak on all the vacant plots owned by the Devaswom in the State. The first phase of the project began with plantation of trees on the land owned by the Parumala Devaswom Board College.
As per the Hindu mythology, every human being has a zodiac sign, and the person’s actions and their results are linked to those signs. So, planting of trees linked to one’s birth star and worshiping them are considered to bring prosperity in life.
College of Forestry, Wood Science, head E V Anoop said the myths associated with planting such trees had not been proven scientifically. But, the trend is worth emulating as it ensures a healthily tree cover in the urban and rural landscape of he State, he said.
Some of the trees associated with the 27 zodiac signs are banyan, Indian oak, Bengal quince, neem, wood apple, peepal, bamboo, flame of the forest, queen’s flower, mango and stunted jack.
