By our correspondent, Bhuj, 1 April 2013

In a unique initiative,a 16 acre land near Bhuj will grow varieties of foreign plants from countries like Kenya and Israel among others.

Shree Bhagwadpriya Swami – Mahant of Amdavad’s Maninagar based Swaminarayan Gadi mandir – became a saint 48 years back in Kenya. His brothers gave him his part of the land owned by their parents. Accordingly, Swami got 16 acre land located at 20 km away from Bhuj in Kutchd district.

This land in Naranpur village, worth crores of rupees witnessed plantation of 9,000 trees last week in the leadership of Purushottam Priyadas Swami – head of the Maninagar Gadi Sansthan.

The plantation drive is part of Green Kumbh campaign for biodiversity conservation in COP-11 organized at Hyderabad during October, 2012 wherein 45 countries across the world had participated.

“The land was rough, and Rs 12 lakh were spent to make it cultivable. Locals perform Karsewa for two months and donated their time and hard work to erect boundary walls,” said Swami.

He said some of the plants planned here include various types of coconuts, cashew nut, star fruit, Israel’s pomegranate, lemon(four types), orange, chakhotru(four types), Rudraksh, Rose(13 types), Raatrani(three types), Mogro(five types), Matunda(three types from Kenya), Sopari, Bijoru, Chickoo, Litchi, Gunda(three types), Pilu(two types), Jambu(four types), Kharek and Khajur (four types). In total 71 types of plants will be planted.

Speaking to DeshGujarat, Swmi said that there are some good lessons to be learnt from trees. Two trees will not fight with each other, they will not be contesting with each other, they don’t borrow something from other but are on their own.

Swami said that his Guru Muktajeevan bapa passed away 36 years back in England’s Lack district after visiting a garden and boarding a cruise. Devotees visit that place every year on his anniversary. A tree was planted in Guru’s memory there and it was named as Vruksha Jyot.Trees keep environment clean. We take it lightly, but one inch of land is built in one thousand years.