"Indian Traditions Entwine With Trees in Green Drive To Revive Land"

"Communities in India's Rajasthan state are planting trees to celebrate local customs and events such as weddings and funerals amid growing efforts to restore degraded land".

"BIKANER, India - With saplings in hand and faces veiled by colourful sarees, Suman and Sarita Takariya's relatives sang traditional songs as the sisters planted small shrubs at their combined pre-wedding celebration in a remote Indian village.

Suman, 21, and Sarita, 19, who married their husbands in a joint ceremony, are part of a growing trend in the western desert state of Rajasthan in which families gift and plant native trees as a new addition to their local customs and rituals.   

"They are a part of our family now," Sarita said as she cleaned her muddy hands after planting an oleander shrub."

Annie Banerji reports for Thomson Reuters Foundation June 3, 2022.

Source: Thomson Reuters Fdn., 06/06/2022