To celebrate the 550th Gurpurb next year, marking of Guru Nanak, a NGO EcoSikh has planned to plant one million trees.
Speaking during a volunteer training meet, Ravneet Singh, South Asia manager of the NGO said, this was the best ‘gift’ followers throughout the world can give to the Guru because planting trees can bring joy to humanity, as the Gurus gave the message of ‘balehari kudrat vaseya’. He said planting trees is the best way to celebrate nature and the creation of the God.
A video of the NGO’s president, Rajwant Singh, was also shared in which he said there were over 12,000 villages in Punjab. He said even if around 1,900 villages are planted with 550 saplings then the goal of one million trees can be easily achieved and exceeded.
Dr Balwinder Singh Lakhewali, said there was importance of trees and plants in all religions and Sikhism has also accorded a high importance to nature. There is also a mention of 40 plants, including 13 trees in Guru Grant Sahib, including Jand,Neem, Peepal.
Several gurdwaras are named after trees, including Gurdwara Beri Sahib in Pakistan, Gurdwara Reetha Sahib, Gurdwara Pippal Sahib, Gudwara Lahura Sahib in Pakistan and Gurdwara Imli Sahib in Indore.