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Saalumarada Thimmakka, Icon of Grassroots Conservation, Dies at 114 in Bengaluru

Her lifelong work, including 385 banyans along a Karnataka highway, earned national recognition such as the Padma Shri.

Overview

  • Family members said she died on November 14 at a private hospital in Bengaluru after a period of age-related illness.
  • Multiple outlets reported the facility as Apollo Speciality Hospital in Jayanagar, where she had been receiving treatment.
  • With her late husband, she planted and nurtured 385 banyan trees on the Kudur–Hulikal stretch of State Highway 94 and helped grow thousands more.
  • She was honored with numerous awards, notably the Padma Shri in 2019, the Nadoja award, the National Citizen Award, the Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra award, and an honorary doctorate.
  • Karnataka leaders, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre, issued condolences praising her legacy as “Vriksha Mata.”