Indian Deputy Minister planted a tree at Hvaleyrarvatn

Oak by Hvaleyrarvatn in honour of mothers

Different cultures joined forces to plant an oak tree at Hvaleyrarvatn on Friday. Kirti Vardhan Singh, India's Minister of State for External Affairs, planted the tree in the spirit of an Indian tradition where people honour their mother by planting and nurturing a tree.

Árni Stefán, the Mayor, welcomed the delegation along with councillors and representatives of the Hafnarfjörður Forestry Society. He welcomed the guests and thanked them for choosing Hafnarfjörður for the planting. Steinar Björgvinsson, the executive director of the forestry association, had specially selected the oak for the occasion and guided the planting.

„The Earth cares for us like a mother“

Singh was in the country for the Arctic Circle and told a representative of the town that a large-scale tree-planting initiative was underway in India. The country's Prime Minister had launched it under the name I will walk in my mother's name, which may be translated as One tree in the name of a mother.

„This is not a government initiative but an initiative led by the people,“ Singh said at the ceremony. He explained that the planting was linked to a concern for the Earth and respect for mothers.

„The Earth cares for us like a mother. That is why we also plant trees for the Earth and do it in the name of our mother,“ said Singh.

A tree is saving for the future

Tree planting also has a personal history in the minister's family. Singh said he came from a family of farmers in a village where a beautiful forest was nearby. His father had encouraged families in the village to plant two teak trees in the name of his daughters.

He said that weddings had often been a heavy financial burden for the girls' families. Some had had to mortgage their farms to cover the cost. However, poplar was a valuable commodity, and by planting the trees, savings could be built up while the daughters were growing up.

„By the time his daughter was of marriageable age, the tree had also grown and acquired a value that could be used to pay for the wedding,“ he said, as he explained the tradition. Even today, teak trees are common around houses and on the boundaries of small estates in his home region. „It's like having a deposit in a bank.“

At Hvaleyrarvatn, it was the concern for nature and mothers that united visitors and locals. After the planting, gifts were exchanged and refreshments were served. Singh was impressed by the surroundings and remarked on its beauty.

The oak can now grow and flourish by Lake Hvaleyrarvatn, in one of Hafnarfjörður's most beautiful spots, and serve as a reminder of a warm moment when nature, family and the future were at the forefront.