Retired official on a mission to conserve Bilva patri trees

Mangaluru: V G Kashimath, who retired as a managing director at Nandini dairy, Vijayapura, is on a mission to conserve Bilva patri trees. He has distributed about 10,000 seeds of Bilva patri (Aegle marmelos), in South India, including 2,000 in Dakshina Kannada district, after the campaign was formally launched by Sri Siddheshwar Swami in Vijayapura on January 15, 2018.
Currently based out of Bengaluru, he travels across the state to collect seeds. He told TOI: “The Bilva patri tree is important because of its medicinal and religious significance. Despite this, it is not easily available. I learnt about seeds separation in Shivayogi Mandira, Badami taluk, where there is a Bilva vana, and frequent the forest department’s research centre at Doresanipalya. The growth rate is good. It takes about a month for sprouting, and about five months to get a good seedling, if kept in a one-foot pouch, and watered once in three days. The plants attain a good height in areas with good sunshine,” he said.
Kashimath, who was recently appointed as the president of the Karnataka Parisara Vedike, is planning to organise Bilva Utsava to spread awareness on the trees, and distribute its seeds. He has sent seeds to various religious heads and temples across the state. He plans to strengthen his campaign with the support of the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Department. He is in touch with botanists and other subject experts, and is also researching on various types of Bilva patri trees.
In the meantime, he has also launched a campaign to conserve the bela or elephant apple (Feronia elephantum). “The fruit is highly nutritious, but it is being neglected. I have sent about 5,000 seeds to Vijayapura, to be developed into seedlings. If successful, the seedlings will also be distributed. All seedlings or seeds are distributed free of cost,” he said.
Tribute to BGL Swamy
V G Kashimath is reaching out to government officials and politicians to popularise the contributions made by Bengaluru Gundappa Lakshminarayana Swamy, an Indian botanist and Kannada writer, and the son of D V Gundappa, a philosopher and Kannada writer. “The need of the hour is to popularise the contributions of B G L Swamy as a botanist and writer. I have also written to Union minister Pralhad Joshi and met the Dharwad deputy commissioner and submitted a letter to name the 40 acre botanical garden after BGL Swamy,” he said.