Saalumarada Thimmakka (1911–2025): Remembering Karnataka’s Eco-Warrior

Saalumarada Thimmakka: Karnataka’s Eco-Warrior

In a world of technological marvels and industrial growth, where environmental destruction is too often neglected, the life of Saalumarada Thimmakka, Karnataka’s Eco-Warrior, stands as a remarkable example of what one person’s dedication to the environment can achieve. Thimmakka grew up in poverty without schooling and turned the pain of being childless into a green legacy, planting thousands of trees and caring for them as she would have cared for her own children. Revered as the “Mother of Trees,” Thimmakka left behind a story that is not just about planting trees but about planting hope, one banyan at a time, along the dusty lanes of Karnataka. She died in Bengaluru on 14 November 2025, at the age of 114. This is the story of how a simple woman became an environmental icon who inspired generations.

Early Life

Thimmakka was born on 30 June 1911, by most accounts, in Gubbi taluk of present-day Tumakuru district in Karnataka. As a child she worked as a labourer and helped support her family. In her teens she married Chikkaiah, a daily-wage worker from Hulikal village. The couple lived a simple and peaceful life but did not have children. Their grief over remaining childless led them to plant banyan trees along the village roads. They saw these trees as their legacy, and so began their journey as green campaigners.

Planting the Row of Trees

The name “Saalumarada,” which means “row of trees” in Kannada, reflects Thimmakka’s remarkable life’s work. She and her husband started planting banyan saplings to ease their sorrow over being childless. They began with 10 trees and added more each year, working with great passion. They carried water over long distances and built fences around the saplings to protect them. In all, the couple planted 385 banyan trees along a roughly 4.5-kilometre stretch of road between Hulikal and Kudur. Thimmakka also planted nearly 8,000 other trees over her lifetime, and her work transformed wasteland into green corridors without any formal support.

Recognition and Influence

• Thimmakka received the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian honours, in 2019 for her outstanding contribution to environmental conservation.
• In 1995, she was honoured with the National Citizen’s Award for her commendable efforts in environmental conservation.
• In 2016, she was named in the BBC’s list of 100 influential and inspirational women.
• She received a multitude of other state and national honours, including the Nadoja Award from Hampi University in 2010.
• In 2022, the Karnataka government recognised her work by naming her the state’s “Eco Ambassador,” with ministerial status.
• In November 2020, the Central University of Karnataka conferred an honorary doctorate on her for her environmental work.

Her personal story inspired countless people to care for the environment and their surroundings. She remains a symbol of hope and an example of how one individual can make a lasting impact on the world around them.

Legacy

Even after her husband’s death in 1991, Thimmakka remained just as passionate about her work, and she built a rainwater-harvesting tank that helped her care for the trees during dry spells. She also dreamt of building a hospital in her village in memory of her husband. In 2019, she successfully persuaded the authorities to spare her banyan trees from a road-widening project, protecting the green corridor that she and her husband had created together. Even past the age of 110, she remained involved in environmental causes, which cemented her standing as a great ambassador for nature who inspired others to plant trees and protect the environment. She died on 14 November 2025 at a private hospital in Bengaluru, where she was being treated for breathing problems, at the age of 114.

Summary

The life of Saalumarada Thimmakka, Karnataka’s Eco-Warrior, is an enduring lesson in love for nature and heartfelt service. Without any formal education or financial support, she turned barren land into green corridors and showed how one person can make a meaningful and significant difference. Her story teaches that small acts of kindness, done with heart, can grow into something extraordinary. At a time of climate crisis, Thimmakka’s legacy continues to remind us to respect nature and plant trees.

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