BENGALURU: Noted environmentalist from Karnataka, Saalumarada Thimmakka, became the talk of the nation on social media when she blessed President of India Ram Nath Kovind after receiving the Padma Shri at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Saturday.
“Ee Deshakke Devaru Valleyadu Madali” (God bless this nation), she said while blessing the President.
Thimmakka, who is 107 years old, has planted and nurtured close to 300 banyan trees between Hulikal and Kudoor in Magadi taluk of Ramanagar district. Even today, the trees planted by Thimmakka stand tall, giving shade and highlighting her glorious work.
Speaking to TNIE, Thimmakka personally thanked the Indian government for recognising her contributions and also for honouring several others who came from similar or lower socio-economic background.
“I must also thank Congress leader G Parameshwar and Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Chandrasekhar who helped me during bad times. I wish that God bless our country with prosperity and I conveyed it to the President. Though I am aged, I will continue to generate awareness among people about the importance of tree planting and rural empowerment,” she said.
Thimmakka was born in Gubbi of Tumakuru and she was married to Bikaalu Chikkaiah of Hulikal village. Unfortunately, the couple remained childless. Pained by this, they started planting trees and nurtured them as their own children. Later Thimmakka took her love for trees to an all new level on the 4 km stretch from her village Hulikal to Kadoor. She would walk miles carrying water in pots to ensure that the trees don’t wither. Thimmakka has been decorated with several award and she is also known as ‘Vruksha Maate’ (mother of trees).
Umesh Vanasiri, adopted son of Thimmakka, too thanked the government for recognising his mother with the award. Environmentalist Suresh Heblikar said it’s a well-deserved award for a woman who, without expecting anything in return, planted and nurtured hundreds of banyan trees.
At the Padma awards ceremony, it is the President’s privilege to honour India’s best and most deserving. But today I was deeply touched when Saalumarada Thimmakka, an environmentalist from Karnataka, and at 107 the oldest Padma awardee this year, thought it fit to bless me. Saalumarada Thimmakka represents the resilience and determination and perseverance of the ordinary Indian citizen, especially of women in our country. May her example, and that of every Padma awardee, inspire our India to greater heights
Sapling For The Moment
At a private function at South Avenue in New Delhi, Thimmakka planted a sapling to mark her receiving of the Padma Shri. The sapling was planted in the campus located opposite Rashtrapati Bhavan.