Meet ‘Saalumarada’ Thimmakka, an uneducated environmentalist who, along with her late husband, planted 384 banyan trees in her hometown of Hulikal village, Karnataka.
“I have been wanting to start a hospital, but no one seems interested. But I will keep trying,” Saalumarada Thimmakka from Karnataka.
103-year-old, a nature lover, inspired by books, worked as laborer and who is like the most voiceless Indian women, took life head on for survival.
Saalumarada Thimmakka, was born in a remote village Hulika, Magadi taluk of Banglore Rural district. After doing tough work for her survival, she married a cattle herder, Bekal Chikkayya. This struggling couple were unable to conceive even after 25 years of their married life. Hence they decided to plant trees and rise them as their children.
Her husband started grafting saplings from trees. Thirty saplings were grafted in three years up to 4 kilometers near the neighbouring village of Kudoor. She used her own meager resources for planting these trees. The couple used to carry four pails of water for a distance of four kilometers to water the saplings. They were also protected from grazing cattle by fencing them with thorny shrubs.
Bekal Chikkayya passed away in 1991. The saplings they planted together over 50 years ago, majestically line the five-km stretch from Kudur to Hulikal, under the shade of which Thimmakka relaxes and muses. Out of respect for her phenomenal work, locals call her ‘Saalumarada’, meaning row of trees in Kannada.
Saalumarada Thimmakka was unknown, until she received the National Citizen Award in 1996. She received bunddle of awards and wondered that why people are giving her certificated but none offered her money.
Living a poverty ridden life, she even suspects that some people may be using her to get funds, but do not share them with her.
