Who Was Padma Shri Saalumarada Thimmakka? India’s ‘Tree Woman’ Who Passed Away At 114
Her contribution was formally recognised in 2019, when she was awarded the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian honours.
Veteran environmentalist Saalumarada Thimmakka, known for her extraordinary contribution to afforestation, passed away on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, at the age of 114.
As per reports, she died at Apollo Speciality Hospital in Bengaluru. She had been receiving treatment after complaints of extreme fatigue and poor appetite.
Karnataka CM posted a heartfelt note on X. Remembering Timmakka, he wrote, "I am deeply saddened to hear the news of the demise of Salumara Timmakka. Timmakka, who planted thousands of trees and nurtured them like her own children, dedicated most of her life to environmental conservation. Even though Timmakka has left us today, her love for the environment has made her immortal. My salutations to the departed great soul. The region has become poorer with the demise of Salumara Timmakka. I pray that the departed soul attains eternal peace. My condolences to their family."
Life Rooted In Green Legacy
Thimmakka’s name became synonymous with grassroots environmental work long before climate action entered mainstream discourse. Over several decades, she planted and cared for more than 8,000 trees, transforming stretches of Karnataka’s highways into flourishing green corridors.
Born on June 30, 1911, in Gubbi taluk of Tumkur district, Karnataka, she married Chikkayya of Hulikal village. The couple, who had no children, reportedly channelled their grief into nurturing saplings, especially banyan trees. This act of love earned her the affectionate title “Saalumarada” (rows of trees) Thimmakka.
Her contribution was formally recognised in 2019, when she was awarded the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian honours.
Honours In India And Beyond
The centenarian was under the care of her foster son, Umesh Ballur. According to reports, her influence extended overseas as well, with an environmental group in the US, with offices in Los Angeles and Oakland, named ‘Thimakkana Resources’ in her honour.
Over the years, apart from the Padma Shri, she was recognised with many other accolades. These included Vrikshamitra Award, Veera Chakra Award, National Citizen Award, Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra Award, Karnataka Kalpavalli Award and the Godfrey Phillips Bravery Award.
The Karnataka government also reportedly appointed her as an “Environment Ambassador,” granting her Cabinet-rank status in acknowledgement of her contributions.
Remembering The Early Days Of Her Mission
In a 2019 conversation with NDTV, Thimmakka recalled the early days when she and her husband began planting saplings along a four-kilometre stretch of highway between Hulikal and Kudur.
She described how the couple approached the task differently from conventional methods. Her husband dug several small pits, planted the young saplings and protected them with twigs and branches. He later collected a few mud pots from a local potter, and together they carried water from a nearby well. “I would carry one pot on my head and another on my hip, and we watered each sapling at least twice a week,” she said.
When asked how many trees they had planted, she said that they never kept count. “We didn’t count them. My husband never told me how many we planted. They just grew. Now they are so big that three people are needed to hug them. They are 70-year-old trees,” she added.
Declining Health
Thimmakka’s health had been fragile in recent years. She was hospitalised in October 2023 following respiratory distress and a heart attack, and underwent angioplasty shortly after. Age-related complications resurfaced in 2024 again, prompting further medical intervention.
