Tulasi Gowda

Tulasi Gowda never went to school, yet she knew the plants of her forests better than almost anyone. Over many decades she raised and planted trees in such numbers that her name became tied to environmental work in Karnataka.

A life among the trees

Tulasi Gowda belonged to the Halakki tribe of Karnataka ^[3]. She grew up in a poor family and had no formal schooling ^[2]. What she did have was a deep, practical knowledge of plants and herbs. People called her the “Encyclopedia of the Forest” because she could tell so many species apart and knew how to help them grow ^[2].

According to The Tribune, she began planting and caring for trees when she was about twelve years old, and kept at it for the rest of her working life ^[2]. She first helped the state forest department as a temporary volunteer. Her dedication was noticed, and the department later gave her a permanent job ^[2].

A citation shared at the time of her award said she had planted more than 30,000 saplings and had worked to protect the environment for around six decades ^[2].

The Padma Shri

The Ministry of Home Affairs named Tulasi Gowda among the Padma Shri awardees on 25 January 2020. She was listed in the field of Social Work, from Karnataka ^[1]. She received the award at a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan in November 2021 ^[2].

Photos from that day travelled far on social media. They showed her barefoot, greeting the Prime Minister and other leaders with folded hands, and leaders returning the greeting ^[2]. For many people, it was their first glimpse of her.

Her legacy

Tulasi Gowda died at her home in Honnalli village, in Uttara Kannada district, in December 2024 because of age-related illness. She was 86 ^[3]. The Prime Minister paid tribute to her, recalling that she had planted thousands of saplings and given her life to caring for nature ^[3][4].

Her story is a reminder that knowledge does not only live in books. A woman with no classroom education helped grow forests that will shade and feed people long after her.