Saalumarada Thimmakka: Legendary 114-Year-Old Environmental Activist and Padma Shri Awardee Passes Away in Karnataka

Saalumarada Thimmakka: 114-Year-Old Padma Shri Awardee And Environmentalist Dies In Bengaluru

Saalumarada Thimmakka Died: Her legacy of tree conservation continues to inspire across India.

Celebrated environmentalist and Padma Shri recipient Saalumarada Thimmakka has passed away at 114 years of age on Friday in a private hospital in Bengaluru. According to family sources, she had been ill for some time and was receiving medical treatment.

Thimmakka was born on June 30, 1911, in Karnataka and rose to prominence as a grassroots environmental activist despite lacking formal education. She earned widespread recognition for planting 385 banyan trees along a 4.5-kilometer stretch between Hulikal and Kudur in Ramanagara district. Her profound connection with nature developed from personal sorrow—being childless, she began to nurture trees as if they were her own children.

Known affectionately as Saalumarada, which means "row of trees" in Kannada, Thimmakka's environmental work has inspired generations and made significant contributions to India's environmental conservation movement.

Throughout her lifetime, she received numerous accolades, including the prestigious Padma Shri in 2019, the Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra Award (1997), the National Citizen Award (1995), and the Nadoja Award from Hampi University in 2010.

Political leaders, environmentalists, and public figures from across India have expressed their profound grief over her demise.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah shared his condolences, stating: "I am saddened to hear the news of the passing of 'Vrikshamate' Saalumarada Thimmakka. Having planted thousands of trees and nurtured them like her own children, Thimmakka dedicated most of her life to environmental conservation."

"Though she has left us today, her love for nature has made her immortal. My respects to the great soul who has departed," he added.

"With the demise of Saalumarada Thimmakka, the nation has become poorer. I pray that her soul attains eternal peace. My condolences to her family," the Chief Minister stated.

R Ashoka, the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, expressed: "I am saddened to hear the news of the passing of Vrkshamate Dr. Salumara Thimmakka, our proud Padma Shri awardee, who planted banyan saplings along the roadside and proclaimed, 'Trees are my children.'"

"May Thimmakka's soul rest in eternal peace. Let us pay tribute to her by following her example of environmental service—protecting and nurturing the environment around us," he added.

Her passing marks the conclusion of an extraordinary life journey, but her legacy will endure through the verdant canopy she created and the inspiration she provided to millions across the world.