It was an unusual scene when several students at St. Joseph’s College gathered to meet Padma Shri Saalumarada Thimmakka and had a conversation with her about planting of trees and greenery. But what stood out at the event was that every person Thimmakka spoke to, she blessed them by the end of the conversation, encouraging them to plant more trees. Thimmakka, who turns 108 today, visited the college on Friday and interacted with students there. She also shared stories from her visit to Delhi recently, where she was bestowed the Padma Shri.

In a quick chat with BT , she says, “We must plant saplings and nurture them well, so that one day when these saplings grow, we can see the fruit of our labour. People need to grow trees no matter how difficult it is, especially women, because growing plants affects how women grow their families.” She goes onto add, “We see other countries making efforts to increase their green cover that is something that we should follow and implement. We must care for the trees like we care for our own children.”

This green crusader, who also planted a sapling in the college premises, says that the rampant chopping of trees must be stopped. “Over a period of time several trees have grown in Bengaluru, but still people end up cutting them. If trees in the city are chopped, do you think buildings will remain? Though there has been support from the current CM, we all must do our bit and care for the trees,” she questions, adding that one must save trees in order to save the country.

Thimmakka wows students, encourages them to plant trees

Several students gathered to catch a glimpse of Saalumarada Thimmakka, 108, who is known to have planted 385 banyan trees along a

four-kilometre highway stretch between Hulikal and Kudoor village. At the event, Thimmakka was seen refusing a car for a short

distance travel and preferred to walk. Each time, she was offered a sapling as a token of gratitude, Thimmakka touched the sapling respectfully. The environmentalist was also seen smiling at students and chatting with them, especially girls, as she sipped on a glass of bisi neeru (hot water). Each time someone spoke to her and touched her feet, she had her palms pressed together as a mark of respect, and at the end of the conversation, she would touch their forehead and bless them, with one line being constant, ‘Do good in your life.’

