Forest conservation through Rakhi

Baripada, Aug.28 (UNI) Hug the trees, treat them as members of your family and protect them from being hacked-- was the message as hundreds of women tied the sacred thread on trees at Sanbadtalia village on Rakhi purnima day yesterday.

The village is located close to a vibrant reserved forest. This unique Raksha Bandhan Utsav has given a boost to the conservation movement in Mayurbhanj district, said Bibekananda Pattnaik, President of the MASS, a NGO.

This unique style of Jangal Raksha Bandhan utsav was celebrated under the aegis of MASS (Mayurbhanj Swechhasevi Samukhya), a Confederation of voluntary organisations in Mayurbhanj, to strengthen conservation movement in the district and to inspire the people to protect the trees and preserve them for the posterity.

Hundreds of villagers, mostly tribals from thirty adjoining villages thronged the Sanbadtalia village and participated in the sacred ceremony. Tribal women joined in large numbers.

The Mayurbhanj tribals' ''Jahersthans'' (places of worship) are located under a cluster of ''Sal'' trees. They also worshipped some tree species. They have a symbiotic relationship with the forests, said speakers at the Jangal Raksha Bandhan ceremony at Sanbadtalia village yesterday.

The speakers included the Baripada circle Conservator of Forests-cum-Field Director of the Simlipal Tiger Reserve, Debabrata Swain, Manoj V Nair, Deputy Director, STR and Saloram Marandi, DFO, Baripada.

In another function, the students of the ''Saraswati Sishu Mandir'' visited the Circle jail and tied the colourful rakhis in the wrist of the inmates and distributed sweets among them.

At least 769 prisoners were overwhelmed when the school children brought for them the message of love and affection through the threading ceremony.

Senior Superindent of the Circle Jail Sibdas Chand said that sisters of at least ten prisoners visited the Jail and tied the sacred ''Rakhi'' to their brothers in jail yesterday .

UNI