Do ask your parents to take you to the road between Kudur and Hulikal in Karnataka. Get down and walk there. Towering trees on the sides will give you shade, and the crisp leaves underfoot will make the road soft to walk on. The 300 trees on this road were planted by Thimmakka, who is now 85 years old.
Thimmakka was born in a Gubbi village in Karnataka. As a girl, she went to work as a labourer. She cut stones in a quarry. Her parents married her off to Chikkaiah, a cattle-herder from Hulikal. The couple did not have any children, and this made them sad.
Thimmakka found the evenings lonely. Chikkiah, a kind man, wondered what they could do to overcome their sadness.
Seeds of happiness
One day, 50 years ago, Chikkanna and Thimmakka decided to plant trees. Their trees would line the four km road between Hulikal and Kudur. The dusty, hot road had no trees. It would be nice if trees came up and shaded the way.
They chose the peepul tree [ Ficus religiosa ]. They raised saplings in a tiny nursery and planted them, taking care to embed them away from the edges of the road. When the road became a highway, not a single tree had to be cut down!
They started with ten saplings and increased the number every year. Chikkanna built thorn guards around the baby plants. He and Thimmakka would set out in the mornings, she with pots on head and hip and Chikkanna with pots hanging from the ends of a pole over his shoulder. They refilled the pots from wells and ponds along the way and watered the plants. They did this for 10 years. Though Chikkanna passed away in 1991, Thimmakka continued the work. The happy villagers named her Saalumurada (row of trees) Thimmakka.
In 1995, Thimmakka was given the National Citizen’s Award. The famous US environmental organisation is now called Thimmakka’s Resources for Environmental Education. She received many certificates but the one that stands out is a crayon drawing by a school girl: It shows a girl planting trees. Her name is Saalumurada Thimmakka.
Thimmakka says every person must leave behind some asset for humanity. Don't you think the avenue should be named after Chikkanna and Thimmakka?
