Saalumarada Thimmakka – India’s Beloved “Mother of Trees”

Born in the humble village of Tumakuru district, Karnataka, Saalumarada Thimmakka grew up with very little – no schoolbooks, no fancy toys, just the endless chatter of the quarry where she worked as a labourer. Life was harsh, but she felt a quiet strength that later blossomed into something extraordinary.

She married Chikkayya, a man who shared her simple roots. The couple never had children of their own, and rather than surrender to the ache of that loss, they poured the affection they would have given a child into the earth itself. Their first venture was modest – ten banyan saplings, each barely a sprout.

Chikkayya dug the pits with calloused hands; Thimmakka trekked miles to fetch water from distant wells, her arms aching yet never refusing the task. Together they shielded the tender shoots from scorching sun, wayward cattle and the relentless monsoon, nursing them with the patience of parents.

Years slipped by, and the tiny grove stretched into a living avenue. A 4.5‑kilometre stretch between Hulikal and Kudur, once a barren ribbon of road, now flaunted 385 towering banyan trees, their canopies offering shade to wandering travellers and a sanctuary for birds and insects.

Thimmakka’s devotion didn’t stop there. Over the decades she helped plant more than 8,000 trees across Karnataka, turning cracked soil into thriving green pockets. The trees cooled the air, held the soil, and sparked a ripple of tree‑planting enthusiasm in nearby villages.

When Chikkayya passed away in 1991, Thimmakka could have folded her sleeves and gone home. Instead, she kept watering, pruning and protecting each sapling as if it were her own child. The forest she cultivated became her purpose, her legacy.

Recognition followed: the National Citizen’s Award, the Padma Shri, an honorary doctorate, and a spot on the BBC’s 100 Women list. She breathed her last on 14 November 2025, aged 114, leaving behind a living monument of bark and leaves that will shade generations to come.