114-year-old environmentalist ‘Saalumarada’ Thimmakka dies in Bengaluru

Padma Shri awardee and environmentalist ‘Saalumarada’ Thimmakka passed away at a private hospital here on Friday.

The 114-year-old was ailing for quite some time and was hospitalised for treatment where she breathed her last, her family sources said.

Born on June 30, 1911, Thimmakka earned the fame ‘Saalumarada’ after she planted 385 banyan trees all along the 4.5 km stretch between Hulikal and Kudur in Ramanagara headquartered Bengaluru South district.

With no formal education, Thimmakka started the plantation campaign as she treated them as her children to fill the void in life for being childless.

For her work, she received 12 awards, including Padma Shri in 2019, Nadoja award by the Hampi University (2010), National Citizen Award (1995) and Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra award (1997).