“Saalumarada” means a row of trees in Kannada. Several tree parks have been named after Saalumarada Thimmakka in recognition of her planting as many as 385 banyan saplings and nurturing them which are now grown into trees on either side of the road.
BENGALURU: Noted environmentalist and Padma Shri awardee Saalumarada Thimmakka died at the age of 114 years in Bengaluru on Friday at a private hospital where she was undergoing treatment for age related illness.
“Saalumarada” means a row of trees in Kannada. Several tree parks have been named after Saalumarada Thimmakka in recognition of her planting as many as 385 banyan saplings and nurturing them which are now grown into trees on either side of the road.
She and her husband Bikkala Chikkaiah nurtured these trees to be fully grown offering shade to travellers and a residing place for many birds on Kudur-Hulikal road on State Highway-94 of Magadi taluk in Bengaluru South district.
Thimmakka was born in Gubbi taluk of Tumakuru district and moved to Hulikal in Magadi taluk after her marriage to Bikkala Chikkaiah. The couple nurtured banyan saplings as parents would raise their children
In one of her interviews a decade back, she stated “We planted saplings once 10, 20 saplings in the following and added 25 saplings and the numbers grew. After 10 years taking care of these banyan saplings have now grown into fully grown trees.”
Minister of Forests and Environment Eshwar Khandre stated many individuals drew inspiration from Saalumarada Thimmakka and took keen interest in conservation of trees and termed Thimmakka as an ‘environment ambassador of Karnataka.”
Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan stated “She nurtured hundreds of trees with the affection of a mother, turning barren stretches into living forests. Her life is a shining example of how simplicity, compassion and unwavering commitment can transform the world around us.”
“Her resilience, her devotion to environment protection and the inspiration she became for the generations to come,” added Pawan Kalyan.
