Saalumarada Thimmakka and the Banyan Alley

     As we approached the village of Kudur (Magadi taluk), we came across a long stretch of road having Banyan trees on either side. Planted in straight lines and at regular intervals, the trees were tall and dense, forming a natural canopy. A long countryside road stretch and the Banyan alley, what a beautiful sight it was! (Reminded us of John Denver's "Take me Home, Country Roads"). At that point in time, it flashed to us that we had read about a lady who had planted around three hundred banyan trees in her village surroundings. Little did we know that  we were talking about and witnessing trees planted by the same lady, Thimmakka. 

    'Thimmakka', popularly known as 'Saalumarada Thimmakka' (Saalumara, in Kannada means trees planted in a line/row, Translation:Saalu-line/row;Mara-tree), is a name synonymous to Afforestation. She and her husband have played a vital role in planting and nurturing banyan trees, along the 4 km stretch of road, starting from the village of Hulikal up to Kudur. For them, the trees were, and will remain their children. A lot of love and care has been bestowed in nurturing these banyan trees. The beautiful stretch of road we see today can only be attributed to their endless love, effort and unselfish labor towards saving these trees and our environment. The trees are protected by the Govt.of Karnataka. Thimmakka has received a lot of appreciation and awards for her work and stands as an inspiration to all of us. In honor of Thimmaka, an environmental organization carrying her name has also been set up in California (USA) with a motto of saving environment. Kudos to the lady and her husband.

The Banyan Alley

The Green Canopy

Further Reading:

1. Wikipedia
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