Van Mahotsav, or Forest Festival, is an annual tree-planting festival held in July that sees thousands of trees planted across the country. Van Mahotsav week is observed from July 1 to 7, with the goal of raising awareness about forest conservation and saving the environment. It began as a crusade with the noble goal of preserving mother earth.
Trees and forests play a very crucial role in maintaining an ecological balance and providing oxygen to human beings on the planet. The Van Mahotsav week is a reminder that we must protect forests and stop deforestation and practice the 3R rule- Reduce, reuse and recycle.
Every Indian is supposed to plant a sapling during the Van Mahotsav Week in accordance with the event’s original intent. Additionally, awareness campaigns regarding the advantages of protecting trees as well as the harm that results from tree-cutting are held. It is a celebration of life.
History of Van Mahotsav:
Van Mahotsav Day dates back to 1947, when it was first organised by Punjabi botanist MS Randhawa from July 20 to 27. On 20 July 1947, the then-Delhi Police Commissioner Khurshid Ahmad Khan inaugurated the first Van Mahotsav event to highlight the impact of deforestation on flora and fauna. National leaders such as Dr. Rajendra Prasad and Jawaharlal Nehru launched a thriving plantation drive.
Since then, the tradition of celebrating Van Mahotsav and planting trees has continued. In 1950, it was declared as a national activity by the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Kanaiyaka Maneklal Munshi. Later on, the festival was moved to the first week in July and was renamed to Van Mahotsav in 1950.
Significance of Van Mahotsav:
In India, Van Mahotsav week is celebrated to encourage people to plant more trees as they are being cut down on a large scale for industrialisation and urbanisation. Trees help to produce food, maintain ecological balance, improve air quality, improve climate, conserve water, preserve soil, support wildlife, reduce drought, and prevent soil erosion and pollution. Van Mahotsav week aims to bring more and more people together to grow and save forests.
How can we celebrate Van Mahotsav?
The government organizes various plantation drives at various levels to encourage people to plant trees. We can also do our part.
-Van Mahotsav can be celebrated by planting more and more trees every day and by telling more and more people to do the same.
-One can stop buying products that are produced or made by destroying forests and avoid using them.
-Plant trees at your homes, schools, offices and colleges and take part in various awareness campaigns. Initiatives like the free circulation of trees can also be taken up by various volunteers and organisations.
-Workshops can be conducted in schools to teach children about the need for planting trees and how it helps in preventing global warming and reducing pollution.
-We can also practice the 3R rule and lower the need for raw materials from trees and forests.
Great initiative to save environment and mother Earth
The Van Mahotsav festival of trees is a beautiful initiative to save the environment, to which we owe a lot. Generally, native trees are planted as they readily adapted to the local conditions, integrate into eco-systems and have a high survival rate. Besides, such trees are helpful in supporting local birds, insects and animals as well.
State Governments and civic bodies supply saplings to schools, colleges and academic institutions, NGOs and welfare organizations for planting trees. Let us join hands and save mother earth by doing this small contribution.
