Mother of 300 children

To be among the rural karnataka is a wonderful experience. Gentle people with great knowledge create an atmosphere of happiness. There are lot of them who are famous for their work and yet there are a some, though unnoticed, have worked for the welfare of others selflessly. One of such work towards humanity can be seen at the 4km strech of road between Hulikal and kudur.

The road looks normal at the beggining. But as time passes by, yoou can hear the birds chirping, a cool breeze on your body and a sense of joy. Yes you are standing among the children of Timmakka and Chikkanna. They greet each passerby with the same happiness throughout the year.




She was named "Timmakka(ತಿಮ್ಮಕ್ಕ)" but people call her by the name "Saalu marada timmakka(ಸಾಲು ಮರದ ತಿಮ್ಮಕ್ಕ)". Like most of the older generation, she is not educated formally. At a young age, she was married to Chikkanna who was a landless labourer. As years passed by, it became evident that they may never have any children. One day they both decided to plant trees and raise them as children.
Unlike most of us who choose our gardens for planting a tree, the couple choose the 4km streach of dusty road. They selected the peepul [ficus religiosa] exclusively, and raised baby trees in a tiny nursery. And then off they went to plant them.

Chikkanna then built thorn guards around their little wards. The plants had to be watered everyday till they established, then, every three days for an year and later every week until they were 10 years old. Every morning they would set out, Thimmakka with a pot on her head and another on a hip and Chikkanna's load of two pots hanging from the ends of a pole over his shoulder. They refilled the pots from wells and ponds along the way - in all about 40 to 50 pots a day.

Every year they planted 15 to 20 new plants until finally they had covered the whole of the 4km between Hulikal and Kudur. Chikkanna quit working for a wage to keep a vigil on his young trees and to water them. He patrolled the stretch, shooed off cattle and watered the trees.

45 years have passed by, and the children of Thimakka stand tall and proud greeting passers by and offering them cool shade. They are the 300 children of Chikkanna and thimmakka.

Thanks to http://www.goodnewsindia.com for most of the content.