Bishnoi community became an example of nature conservation, Swami Chidanand started tree plantation campaign

• On the entry of Swami Chidananda in his 75th year, a mega campaign of planting 75 thousand saplings started.

Jodhpur, Rajasthan. A wonderful confluence of nature conservation, environment promotion and compassion towards living beings took place when the Bishnoi community, in the holy presence of Parmarth Peethadhishwar, President of Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh, Swami Chidanand Saraswati, started a massive environmental campaign by planting saplings on the sacred land of Rajasthan. On this occasion, to commemorate Swamiji’s entry into his 75th year, a resolution was taken to plant 75 thousand saplings and the planting of the first sapling of the campaign was completed by Swami’s Karakamals.

On this occasion, Swami Chidanand Saraswati said that trees are not only the heritage of nature, but also the life of our future generations. Today the world is facing serious challenges like climate change, rising temperatures, water crisis and degradation of biodiversity. The simplest, effective and permanent solution to these challenges is tree plantation and conservation of trees. He said that planting a tree is important, but it is even more important to take care of it over the years, just like a family member.

Swamiji appreciated the environmental consciousness of Bishnoi society and said that Bishnoi society not only plants trees but also preserves the culture of living with nature. The life values ​​established by Guru Jambheshwar ji centuries ago presented such an ideal of nature conservation, kindness to animals and environmental balance, which even modern environmental science today considers exemplary. Especially the protection of many trees including Khejri (Shami), their planting and their nurturing for years is the unique identity of Bishnoi society.

He said that Bishnoi community considers deer, chinkara, black buck, nilgai, peacock, rabbit and innumerable birds as members of their family. Treatment of injured and sick wildlife, provision of food and water for them and keeping water containers for birds and animals in the scorching heat is an integral part of their culture. In fact, the ideal of co-existence of man and nature presented by Bishnoi society is the real nature of India’s eternal culture.

On this inspiring occasion, Faglu Ram’s 100th birthday was also celebrated as a dedication to nature. His wife Tulsi Devi ji and four sons Sukhram Banoi, Jagdish Banoi, Sahram ji and Poona Ram Banoi celebrated their father’s green birthday by planting saplings in their native village. He will plant more than a thousand Khejri and other plants in the villages around him and pledged to take an active part in the campaign to plant 75 thousand trees on the occasion of Swami Chidanand Saraswati entering his 75th year.

In the first phase of this campaign, this campaign was started by planting 11,000 and 11,00 saplings in the holy presence of Swamiji. It was also announced that this campaign will continue throughout the monsoon period and a pledge was also taken to plant thousands of saplings and conserve them. Thanking everyone for this excellent work, Swami said that everyone should continue to do the same and contribute in keeping the earth’s environment green and prosperous.

During the program the atmosphere resonated with the energy of resolutions. Many devotees, social workers, youth and the crowd present took pledge to plant from one sapling to 11 thousand, 21 thousand and 51 thousand saplings. It was not just a tree plantation programme, but became a collective resolution of responsibility towards nature, environmental consciousness and a secure future for future generations.

On this occasion, many special guests and distinguished citizens including Vineet Mathur (Judge, Rajasthan High Court, Jodhpur), Ghanshyam Soni (Director, Narcotics Control Bureau, Jodhpur) were present.