Chennai: Colleagues and clients in the court halls, who have seen him as workaholic, in his ever fresh black coats were a bit shocked and lot amused seeing pictures of renowned lawye Abudu Kumar Rajarathinam receiving a huge glittering trophy from Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit at the Ooty flower show. The trophy was nothing to do with his jurisprudence and was for Abudu's work among his plants and flowers in the farm his family owns in the Queen of the Hills.
“Whenever I come to Ooty, it is like taking a deep breath of oxygen after drowning in the heaps of legal work back at Chennai”, Abudu Kumar told DC.
Abudu Kumar received the trophy for “Bloom of the year for Black Pansy”. Belmont Farm, situated in Ooty, owned by his family. He also owns an estate called “Spice Hill”, engaged in cultivation of spices, home stay for adventure travelers and picnic spot for creative minds. Spice Hill spread over 150 acres has various spices like pepper and clove. The Belmont Farm also won the second prize for CM Rolling Trophy for the best small garden category. The farm also won 8 other awards in various categories.
“Gardening helps in relaxing the mind and also the beautiful and vibrant colours of flowers add beauty to the mystique atmosphere of Ooty. Gardening has been a passion in my family for about 2 generations and therefore, it is my duty to protect the nature and to take care of the plants, the best way I can”, said Abudu Kumar.
He said the garden is maintained by a dedicated team of employees who also take care of the spice growing. The flowers are looked after and nurtured carefully throughout the year to achieve its full vibrant colour. The spice plantation in the hill provide an opportunity to create an ecological system and to balance the fast changing need of society, the clean air and water and the hilly landscape, he added.
He said his entire family including his in-laws and wife is involved in upkeep and maintenance of the garden and the estate. “This is not the first time, we won the award. We won about 10 times”, he added.
When asked about his frequent visits to Ooty amongst his busy work schedule, the 43-year-old Abudu Kumar said, “At least once in 2 weeks I visit Ooty since it actually helps my profession providing relaxation to my mind and creative thinking in terms of my cases. Moreover, it is our duty to protect the environment and to balance the experience in a very holistic way. We have been passionate about the nature and our environment. We have taken this garden seriously since it is a great opportunity to give back to the nature”.
Abudu Kumar's father late Justice Kumar Rajarathinam was a former chief justice of Madhya Pradesh high court and Security Appellate Tribunal's chairperson.
His grand father was a former Inspector General of Police of Madras Presidency. His father-in-law is involved in development of environmentally sustainable housing project and development and research facilities. His wife is involved in Spice Hill projects.
