Har Har Mahadev echoes in Ramnagar Domri’s ‘Urban Forest’
Kashi’s historic success recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records
Varanasi becomes the world’s largest Miyawaki forest area
Varanasi, March 01: The Uttar Pradesh’s religious and devotional city Kashi or Varanasi etched its name in golden letters in the history of environmental conservation on Sunday as the ‘Massive Tree Plantation Program’ organized in Varanasi’s Sujabad Domri area has set a record that has astonished the entire world.
Within the stipulated time period of just one hour, Varanasi has successfully planted 2,51,446 saplings, officially breaking China’s eight-year-old record. On the occasion, Guinness World Records judge Rishi Nath presented Mayor Ashok Kumar Tiwari and Himanshu Pal with certificates for setting the new record.
The Guinness World Records team was present in Domri since morning to document this historic moment. This modern “urban forest,” developed on 350 acres of land in Sujabad Domri through unprecedented coordination between the Municipal Corporation and various social and government organizations, has elevated India’s prestige on the world stage.
China’s 2018 record is now a thing of the past.
Until now, the world record for planting the most trees in one hour was held by the Henan Provincial Committee of China and the Henan Shifanghe Greening Engineering Company. They achieved this distinction by planting 153,981 trees on March 10, 2018. However, the systematic planting of 250,000 trees in Domri, using the Miyawaki technique and massive public participation, has not only broken the Chinese record but surpassed it by a long shot.
Guinness World Records adjudicator Rishi Nath and world record strategist Nischal Barot were present on the spot and meticulously monitored every activity. After accurate confirmation using drone cameras and modern digital counting systems, Rishi Nath officially announced the new record. The
“Urban Forest” replicates 60 sacred Ganga Ghats.
The most unique feature of this “Urban Forest” is its design and conceptual background. The entire forest area is divided into 60 distinct sectors. Each sector is named after the famous Ganga Ghats of Kashi, such as Dashashwamedh, Lalita Ghat, Naya Ghat, Manikarnika Ghat, Kedar Ghat, Chaushatti Ghat, Manmandir Ghat, and Sheetla Ghat. This layout is such that when these saplings grow into trees in the future, a lush green “mini Kashi” will appear along the banks of the Ganga. Over 4,000 saplings have been planted in each sector. Priority has been given to 27 indigenous species such as shisham, arjun, teak, and bamboo, as well as fruit trees such as mango, guava, and papaya, and medicinal plants such as ashwagandha, asparagus, and giloy
Setting this world record required months of meticulous preparation and the collective labor of thousands of hands. An atmosphere of great excitement reigned in Domri from Sunday morning. Security and military forces also played a significant role in this massive campaign. Soldiers from the Indian Army’s 39 GTC, 34 GTC, 39 GR, and 137 CFTF (TA) set an example of discipline.
Meanwhile, personnel from the NDRF, CRPF, Civil Defence, and the 36th and 39th PAC battalions of the Uttar Pradesh Police planted trees with full energy.
Teams from Namami Gange, the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department, the Agriculture Department, DUDA, and the Municipal Corporation handled technical management and irrigation. Thousands of students from Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, UP College, Dehradun Public School, and Mukularanyam School, along with NCC cadets and NSS volunteers, transformed this historic campaign into a mass movement. To sustain this massive goal of planting 250,000 trees, the administration has made elaborate arrangements.
A 10,827-meter-long state-of-the-art pipeline has been laid in the forest area. Irrigation through 10 borewells and 360 rain gun systems has been implemented to minimize water wastage. Thanks to the Miyawaki technique, these plants will grow 10 times faster than normal, and in just two to three years, the area will become a dense oxygen bank. Developed by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, this technique is world-renowned for growing dense forests in a small space.
Dignitaries present at the event included BHU Vice Chancellor Prof. Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi, Mayor Ashok Kumar Tiwari, Legislative Council member Dharmendra Rai, MLC Hansraj Vishwakarma, Ashwani Tyagi, and Municipal Commissioner Himanshu Nagpal Shyam Bhushan Sharma.
The Mayor, becoming emotional, said that this is a unique example of spiritual peace and modern economics. Administration teams remained on site, and ultimately, Kashi achieved a world record.
Mayor Ashok Tiwari said, “This achievement, under the inspiration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guidance of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, proves that Kashi not only preserves its ancient traditions but is also poised to lead the world on global issues like the environment. This new gift of 250,000 saplings is another proud tilak on Kashi’s forehead.”