NAGARPARKAR/UMERKOT, Sept 10: A group of Thari women tied rakhis to trees in Adhigam village, symbolically declaring that they were now their brothers and they would protect them with their lives if anybody tried to cut them down.

The ritual was performed in a special ceremony recently organised by the Society for Conversation and Protection of Environment, an NGO, in the picturesque village sitting in the lap of Karoonjhar Mountain, 30 kilometres from Nagarparkar.

The NGO made use of this centuries old tradition in which Hindu women tie rakhis round their brother’s wrists as an expression of love and the brother in turn promises to protect them, to bring home importance of trees and fight against desertification. Attired in their traditional colourful dresses, a large number of Thari women, tied rakhis round the tree’s stem, and vowed to protect it if and when somebody attempt to cut them down.

They promised to continue this ritual each year. The ritual is performed on the eve of Raksha Bandhan, which falls in the months of Shravana or Sawan every year on the day of Poonam (a full moon).

Carrying Arti Thali, which is a special plate containing rakhi threads, rice grains, diya (a clay or metal lamp used for worship), sweets and flowers, these women of Kolhi community recited religious song called Rasoora on their way to their chosen trees and back home.

Bharumal Amrani, community development officer of SCOPE, said that timber mafia was divesting Thar of its ornaments, like Gugral, Kandi, Konbhat and it was need of the hour to preserve them.

He said that rain and wind patterns had changed because “we have failed to protect trees and replace them with new ones”.

Aziz Ahmed Talpur, project coordinator of SCOPE, said that it was a unique ritual, which could help protect trees in Thar much like Chipko (stick up) movement in India in which women would stick themselves to trees when somebody attempted to cut them down. This movement was very successful, he said.

Najo Kolhi said that by tying rakhis to trees and declaring them their kin, the villagers had conveyed a message throughout the country to save trees and protect them.