van mahotsav

The best things in life are free. Oxygen, air and water and all the other necessities for sustaining life on Earth is available to us free of cost. It is plants that provide us with so much we do not even realize. Plants produce oxygen and it is the starting point of all food chains. Plants are the reason life on Earth is possible. Even then plants are subjected to cruelty by humans. Millions of trees are cut each year. But this does not stop plants from being kind to us. When a tree is stoned for its fruit it does get hurt but at the end it does part with its fruit. Nature is our mother, so why are we killing mother. If we do so we are committing a heinous sin by strangling it even further. Today is the day we respect mother nature for all that it has given us. Today is the day when we plant trees and show our indebtedness to nature. Yes! Today is the vana mahotsav day. Van Mahotsav was started in 1950 by K. M. Munshi, the then Union Minister for Agriculture and Food to create enthusiasm among masses for forest conservation and planting trees. Van Mahotsav, a week long festival of tree planting is organised every year in the month of July, across India when millions of trees are planted. As the monsoon progresses across the Gangetic plains, Van Mahotsav is celebrated in some parts in early July, in others, in August, and still further west, even in September. The main purpose for planting the trees during Van Mahotsav was to: Increase awareness about trees and love of trees amongst the people.

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•Hel

p soil conservation and arrest deterioration of soil fertility.

•Popularize the planting and tending of trees in farms, villages, municipal and public lands for their aesthetic, economic an

d protective needs. Provide fuel and thus release cow dung for use as manure.

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•Increase production of fruits and add to the potential food resources of the country.

Help creation of shelter-belts around agricultural fields to increase their productivity.

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•Provide fodder leaves for cattle to relieve intensity of g

razing over reserved forests.

•Provide shade and ornamental trees for the landscape.

Provide small poles and timber for agricultural implements, house construction and fencing.

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As a part of Van Mahaotsav celebrations throughout the country, afforestation drive was launched after the observations from 1950 in a bid to retain the vanishing forest covers of the country. Cutting down trees on a massive scale has greatly affected the environment around us and it has become imperative to do something about their conservation as well. In the competition of urbanisation and beautification of cities, trees were considered the greatest stumbling block. A quote from the 18th century British poet Christopher Smart who wrote of how plants and trees and flowers along with prayers can combine to make our lives beautiful and meaningful and profitable.

“Trees, plants, and flowers of virtuous root;

Gem yielding blossom, yielding fruit …………….

And with sadness of the gale enrich the thankful Sun, The World He made, The Glorious light the Soothing shade Dale, champaign, grow and hill, Where Secrecy remains in bliss

And Wisdom hides her grace.”

The Vedas, teach us to seek…..

“Bless me Oh Lord with lofty hills and mountains which give birth to rivers and forests wit

h trees that bear fruit...... May peace fill the plants and the forests.

May God’s ruling over the rivers be peaceful.

May Lord Brahma be peaceful. May there be peace in the world.

May peace manifest itself in every form......