Do you wish to witness a unique celebration of a girl’s child’s birth that involves planting more than 100 trees? Then you should plan your trip to Rajasthan, India.
Piplantri is a hamlet in India’s Rajasthan State, in Rajsamand district. But it’s not like any other village found on the outskirts of India. What makes Piplantri stand out is the celebrating style when a new girl child is born.
Every time a girl child is born, the people of Piplantri plant 111 trees, and the neighborhood takes care of them so they flourish and bear fruit as the girls mature. After a girl is born, the villages put together a contribution of Rs. 21,000 to secure her financial stability. They also take Rs. 10,000 from the parents and place it in a fixed deposit that can be withdrawn when the girl reaches 20. This guarantees that her parents will never view her as a financial burden.
In exchange for this trust, the daughter’s parents agree to a formal affidavit stating that she won’t get married until she’s 18 and has obtained a good education. According to the affidavit, the 111 trees must also be maintained.
The villagers ask the parents to sign an affidavit restricting them from marrying the daughter off before she reaches marriageable age in order to ensure that she obtains a suitable education.
Shri Shyam Sundar Paliwal, a former sarpanch (village head), started the initiative in memory of his daughter Kiran, who passed away a few years ago.
The locals established this as a custom by adhering to the village chief’s promise. Later, the practice expanded into a larger ecofeminism project. With so many new trees being planted each year, the depleted soil condition started to improve, the water supply began to regenerate, the amount of pollution dropped, and numerous new employment for female workers was created. Around the settlement, more than 350,000 trees, including mango, gooseberry, and sappanwood, have been planted as of this point.
The project also boosted the local economy. The town has planted almost 2.5 million Aloe vera plants around the trees, many of which yield fruit, to stave off termites. The locals gradually came to understand that there were several ways to prepare and sell aloe vera. As a result, the community now manufactures and sells a variety of items made from aloe, including juice and gel.
In a nation where having a son is still preferred, the Rajasthani village of Piplantri has developed a custom that is advantageous to both the locals and the environment.
As the girls mature, these trees provide fruit thanks to the Piplantri community’s efforts to safeguard their survival. The effort is addressing two important societal issues: afforestation and the empowerment of girls. Since they have been doing it for 15 years, the village’s green cover has increased.
This lovely custom not only cultivates a profound respect for women in the community, but it also fosters a tremendous sense of environmental care.
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