Meet the tree-lover Tulsi Gowda, who walked barefoot to receive Padma Shri

Hyderabad: The 77-year-old environmentalist Tulsi Gowda, who belongs to the Halakki tribes, was conferred the Padma Shri award on Monday for her contribution to the protection of the environment. In the videos and pictures which have surfaced online, Gowda can be seen walking barefoot in the Durbar Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhavan to receive the […]

Hyderabad: The 77-year-old environmentalist Tulsi Gowda, who belongs to the Halakki tribes, was conferred the Padma Shri award on Monday for her contribution to the protection of the environment.

In the videos and pictures which have surfaced online, Gowda can be seen walking barefoot in the Durbar Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhavan to receive the award from President Ram Nath Kovind.  

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She grew up in a poor family and did not receive any formal education, and yet, she is known as the ‘Encyclopedia of the Forest’. She has been involved in environmental activities for over 60 years now and has so far planted more than one lakh trees.  

As a young child, Gowda started working with her mother at a local nursery. She was married when she was not even in her teens.

She actively contributed to protecting the environment and has so far planted more than one lakh trees. She joined the forest department as a temporary volunteer, where she was recognised for her dedication to nature preservation. She was later offered a permanent job in the department. She retired at the age of 70.

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