Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

BAREILLY: The Yogi Adityanath government has ordered setting up of ‘ Navgraha Vatika ’, ‘Panchavati’ or ‘Harishankari’ in every tehsil of all 75 districts of the state during a plantation drive which will start from July 1. Forest officials said that such groves, with specific kinds of trees, are mentioned in religious books of Hinduism, including the Vedas and Ramayana. Besides, the state government has instructed the forest department to form ‘Smriti Vatikas’ in each district. In these gardens, any person can plant saplings to mark special occasions in their life.

As the plantation drive in the state will begin on July 1 with UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath planting saplings near the Ganga in Bijnor, principal chief conservator of forests Rupak De wrote a letter to issue few guidelines to all divisional forest officers and divisional director “for converting the plantation drive into a public campaign”.

One of the guidelines is setting up of either ‘Navgraha Vatika’, ‘Panchavati’ or ‘Harishankari’ in every tehsil of all 75 districts of UP.

“This is the first time that we have been asked to set up gardens which are mentioned in Hindu scriptures. As these gardens hold religious and medical significance, they will attract the attention of the public. Even the global theme of World Environment Day, 2017 is ‘connecting people with nature’,” said Dharam Singh, Bareilly divisional forest officer (DFO).

According to forest officials, Panchavati represents a grove of five trees- peepal, banyan, bael (golden apple), amla (Indian gooseberry) and ashoka. It is believed that Panchavati was the name of the forest home of Lord Rama during his exile and his wife Sita was kidnapped by Ravana from here. Similarly, Harishankari denotes horizontal plantation of pakar, banyan and peepal trees together so that their canopies merge with each other. “In Uttar Kand of Ramcharitmanas, Lord Shiva mentions Harishankari to Parvati while describing the home of Kaagabhusundi (a sage with the body of a crow),” said Singh.

In Navgraha Vatika, nine types of trees are planted, which represents the nine heavenly bodies mentioned in astrology.

The state government has not allotted additional budget for it and there is no mention of the size of the gardens. “I have asked the Bareilly district magistrate to provide land for setting up these gardens in each tehsil and it will be ready by July,” said the DFO.

Besides, the forest department has been ordered to form ‘Smriti Vatikas’ in all 75 districts of the state. “Any person can purchase saplings from us to plant in these groves to mark his birthday or anniversary. The sapling will bear the name of the person but the forest department will take care of the plant,” said Singh.

