The 75-year-old Bodhi tree, which once stood majestically tall near the Tirupur railway station till last year, completed one year at its ‘adopted home’ situated on the premises of NIFT-TEA College of Knitwear Fashion on Saturday.
It was on August 24, 2012, the NIFT-TEA Institute, along with T.R. Ramanathan, a nature activist and chartered accountant, took up a Herculean task of transplanting the 30-feet tall tree which had been facing the axe to facilitate construction of a road under bridge in the area.
The almost 8-km journey of the tree, with the trunk circumference of 16 feet, to the NIFT-TEA Institute premises took nearly 24 hours. Thanks to the initiative, the tree is now there to ‘tell’ the stories it witnessed about the transformation of Tirupur from being a small dusty town into an export hub.
“Looking back, that particular effort is now giving immense satisfaction as we have not only been able to save a gigantic tree but also succeeded in kick-starting many a similar steps in the hinterlands of Tirupur,” NIFT-TEA College chairman Raja M. Shanmugam told The Hindu .
Commemorating the first anniversary, the students and the staff of NIFT-TEA College took out a rally near Mudalipalayam to spread the message of saving trees, planting more trees and conserve water resources among the public.
