In most Indian villages it was considered a burden if a baby girl was born to a family. A lot of these girls did not receive proper education and were married before the age of 18.
The Indian village Piplantri, however, has a special and incredibly beautiful tradition when a girl is born: Instead of consuming unnecessary items that are considered “cute” in our Western society, these people plant 111 trees in honor of the birth of the child.
Former village leader Shyam Sundar started this amazing custom in order to honor his daughter who passed away at a young age.
(h/t: onegreenplanet.org)
The trees become a symbol for the baby girl
It’s a beautiful tradition that fosters a deep appreciation for females in the village
The practice of planting trees when a child is born works to ensure that the local environment will be able to support the ever growing population
The villagers work just as hard to protect the trees from termites, by planting aloe vera
Paliwal’s tradition has created a truly sustainable future for community members
Over the course of the past six years, a quarter of a million trees have been planted in Piplantri
