Shivraj Singh Chouhan Urges Tree Planting on Hariyali Amavasya
Synopsis
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan marked Hariyali Amavasya on August 12, 2026 by invoking a Sanskrit verse equating trees to ten sons, urging citizens and the Vriksh Mitra Parivar collective to plant saplings and nurture them as family.
Key Takeaways
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan posted on August 12, 2026 to mark Hariyali Amavasya , the new-moon festival of the Shravan month.
He opened with a Sanskrit shloka declaring that one tree equals ten sons in value, grounding his appeal in ancient scripture.
Chouhan called on every citizen to plant at least one sapling on the day to make the celebration meaningful.
Members of the Vriksh Mitra Parivar collective pledged to observe the festival through tree-plantation drives.
He urged people to exchange saplings as gifts and to nurture planted trees 'like their own children.' The appeal continues India's decades-old tradition of linking seasonal festivals to afforestation goals, dating to Van Mahotsav since 1950 .
On the auspicious morning of Hariyali Amavasya, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan invoked an ancient Sanskrit verse to remind Indians that a single tree is worth ten sons — and called on every citizen to plant at least one sapling before the day was out.
Posting on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, Chouhan opened with the Sanskrit shloka: 'Dash koop sama vaapi, dash vaapi samo hradah. Dash hrad samah putro, dash putro samo drumah' — ('Ten wells equal one pond, ten ponds equal one lake, ten lakes equal one son, ten sons equal one tree'). The verse, drawn from ancient Indian scripture, frames trees not as resources but as kin — a framing Chouhan leaned into hard.
The festival and its call to action
Hariyali Amavasya falls on the new moon of the Shravan month and is observed widely across Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and neighbouring regions as an occasion to express gratitude to nature. Chouhan called it a festival that becomes meaningful only through action: 'Celebrating this festival will be worthwhile only when all of us plant at least one sapling today,' he wrote. He also announced that members of the Vriksh Mitra Parivar — a tree-friends collective — had pledged to mark the occasion through plantation drives, and urged followers to exchange saplings as gifts in place of conventional greetings. 'Plant trees and take a vow to nurture them like your own children,' he said.Where culture meets afforestation policy
The appeal sits within a long tradition of linking seasonal festivals to national greening goals. India has observed Van Mahotsav as an annual tree-planting week since 1950, making the cultural-ecological bridge one of the country's oldest policy instincts. For a minister who oversees both agriculture and rural development, tying a devotional occasion to practical plantation is also a way of reaching rural communities through idioms they already trust — the blessings of Mahadev and Mata Parvati, the sanctity of the new moon, the weight of scripture. Chouhan closed with a prayer: that the grace of Mahadev and Mata Parvati fill every home with happiness, prosperity, and wellbeing. The spiritual and the ecological, braided together — one sapling at a time.Point of View
Reaching rural voters through scripture and festival is strategically coherent: it frames tree-planting as a moral and spiritual duty, not a government directive. The Vriksh Mitra Parivar shout-out also signals an attempt to build a grassroots civic identity around afforestation. Across successive governments, this cultural-ecological bridge has proven more durable than top-down mandates alone.
NationPress
12 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Hariyali Amavasya and why is it celebrated?
Hariyali Amavasya falls on the new moon of the Shravan month and is celebrated primarily in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and surrounding regions as a festival of gratitude to nature, often marked by tree plantation and worship of Lord Shiva.
What did Shivraj Singh Chouhan say on Hariyali Amavasya 2026?
Chouhan invoked a Sanskrit shloka equating one tree to ten sons, wished devotees and nature lovers well, and urged every citizen to plant at least one sapling on August 12, 2026 to make the celebration meaningful.
What is the Sanskrit shloka Shivraj Singh Chouhan quoted about trees?
The shloka — 'Dash koop sama vaapi...' — states that ten wells equal one pond, ten ponds equal one lake, ten lakes equal one son, and ten sons equal one tree, highlighting the supreme value of trees in ancient Indian thought.
What is Vriksh Mitra Parivar?
Vriksh Mitra Parivar, meaning 'Tree-Friends Family,' is a collective whose members pledged to observe Hariyali Amavasya 2026 by conducting tree-plantation drives, as mentioned by Chouhan in his post.
What is Van Mahotsav and how does it relate to Hariyali Amavasya?
Van Mahotsav is India's annual tree-planting festival observed since 1950 to promote afforestation; Hariyali Amavasya is a regional cultural festival with a similar ecological spirit, and ministers often link the two to reinforce national greening goals through local traditions.
