Padma Shri Saalumarada Thimmakka, who planted thousands of trees in Karnataka and raised them like children, passed away today. She breathed her last at Apollo Hospital in Jayanagar, aged 114, Kannada news reports said on Friday.
The centenarian, who was fondly referred to as 'Mother of Trees' or simply 'Tree Mother', passed away due to age-related ailments. She was admitted to Apollo Hospital two days ago due to severe breathing problems. Her body did not respond to medicines and finally gave up today, news reports quoted the family as saying. Frequent health issues had made life difficult for her im recent times, they added.
Who was Saalumarada Thimmakka?
Thimmakka was born in Gubbi taluk of Tumkur district to Chikkarangaiah and Vijayamma. Since her parents did not send her to school, Thimmakka started taking the family's cattle to grazing lands at an early age. She also became a daily-wage labourer before being married off to Chikkaiah at the age of 12.
THE WEEK had featured her iconic life in environmental conservation. READ IT HERE
Thimmakka's husband was native to Hulikal village in Magadi taluk of Ramanagara district, Kannada News 18 said in a report. Even many years after their marriage, the couple did not have a child. This despair led her to start planting trees, and nurturing the saplings — which would eventually grow into giant trees — brought her comfort and helped ease her sorrow. It is said that the couple planted banyan saplings on State Highway 94 from Kudur to Hulikal for many years. She alone is said to have planted over 8,000 saplings, the News 18 report said.
Noted environmentalist Umesh Ballur is her adopted son. Thimmakka reportedly spent her final years in his company in Bengaluru.
