Saalumarada Thimmakka, the 114-year-old environmentalist celebrated for her banyan tree plantation, died in Bengaluru on Friday.

She was born on June 30, 1911, in Hulikal village. She earned the name “Saalumarada” after planting 385 banyan trees along a 4.5 km stretch between Hulikal and Kudur in Ramanagara district. Her work transformed the landscape and inspired countless environmentalists across India.

Thimmakka suffered from age-related ailments and received treatment at a private hospital in Bengaluru. Family members confirmed that she breathed her last after weeks of illness.

She had no formal education but began planting trees to fill the void of being childless. She nurtured the saplings as her own children, watering them regularly and protecting them from grazing cattle. Her de

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