Posts Tagged ‘trees’

Fruit trees and the girl child

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

A completely amazing aspect of tree plantation by connecting it to the birth of a girl child .

In many parts of India, where traditionally boys have been preferred over girls, a village in Bihar state has been setting an example by planting trees to celebrate the birth of a girl child.

In Dharhara village, Bhagalpur district, families plant a minimum of 10 trees whenever a girl child is born.

And this practice is paying off.

Nikah Kumari, 19, is all set to get married in early June. The would-be groom is a state school teacher chosen by her father, Subhas Singh.

Mr Singh is a small-scale farmer with a meagre income, but he is not worried about the high expenses needed for the marriage ceremony.

For, in keeping with the village tradition, he had planted 10 mango trees the day Nikah was born.

The girl – and the trees – were nurtured over the years and today both are grown up.

“Today that day has come for which we had planted the trees. We’ve sold off the fruits of the trees for three years in advance and got the money to pay for my daughter’s wedding,” Mr Singh told the BBC.

“The trees are our fixed deposits,” he said.

In Bihar, payment of dowry by the bride’s family is a common practice. The price tag of the bridegroom often depends on his caste, social status and job profile.

The state is also infamous for the maximum number of dowry deaths in the country.

But the mango trees have freed Nikah’s parents of undue worries. And their story is not unique in Dharhara village.

With a population of a little over 7,000, the village has more than 100,000 fully grown trees, mostly of mango and lychee.

From a distance, the village looks like a forest or a dense green patch amidst the parched and arid cluster of villages in the area.

One hopes that this tradition of tree plantation will spread . And that it will not be limited to the birth of a girl child alone.

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Gift

Monday, May 31st, 2010

Back from a walk in the area. The tree cover in the vicinity is wonderful . Trees possibly planted years ago line many parts of the road providing much needed succor in the sweltering summer . The sheer sight of lush green trees is an oasis in the midst of concrete buildings. The trees stand tall providing shelter , joy and reassurance . The trees in our office area are home to many birds . Though the day we hear varying sounds of the birds that inhabit them.

In the garden are trees that we planted as small saplings 2 years ago . When we were planting them there was a sense of impatience about seeing the full fledged trees . Nurturing plants teaches us beautifully that the rhythm of life cannot be hurried.

It’s a joy to see  Gulmohar trees in full bloom gently swaying in the wind with the sky as the background , mango trees full of mangoes , the venerable pipal..Trees are precious gifts.

Give yourself and the world a gift . Plant a tree.

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Posted in Eco-living | 1 Comment »