In Alappuzha, a district celebrated for its backwaters and coastline, a rare green sanctuary stands as a testament to human will and patience. Known as Tapovanam, this five-acre haven is the outcome of four decades of planting, watering and care by 92-year-old Devaki Amma of Kollaykkal. In a region largely devoid of natural forests, Tapovanam today flourishes as a vibrant ecosystem.

Devaki Amma's journey towards greening the land began 44 years ago, after a life-altering accident left her physically and emotionally shattered. She had to relearn how to walk- first with the aid of a stick, then through slow, deliberate steps. By then, the paddy cultivation and farming activities that once sustained her family had ceased. The granary and threshing yard, once resonant with the bustle of harvest, lay abandoned.

It was on this neglected land that Devaki Amma planted her first sapling. Watching the tree take root, flower and grow gave her a renewed sense of purpose. From then on, she planted a sapling every day. Gradually, the eastern and western kalams (yards) of the five-acre Kollaykkal tharavadu were transformed into a dense, living forest.

Today, the land is a thriving woodland rich with trees, shrubs and medicinal plants. Among them is the kamandalu, or calabash tree, whose fruit is believed to have been used by sages in ancient times as water vessels, while its sturdy branches offered support during meditation. Rare species such as the peacock plant (Calathea makoyana)- named for its shimmering, plume-like leaves- also flourish within Tapovanam.

Different varieties of fig trees, Indian black berry (kureepazham), jackfruit, mango and wild berries grow alongside the Buddha tree (Ficus religiosa), which sheds its leaves in summer. Nestled among this greenery is a small pond teeming with fish such as catfish and snakehead murrel. Birds that feed on these fish, along with birds of prey like eagles, are frequent visitors here, thus making Tapovanam a complete ecosystem.

The biodiversity of Tapovanam never fails to astonish visitors. Many wonder how such lush vegetation thrives in the sandy, white soil of a region surrounded by backwaters and the sea. Devaki Amma believes the greenery around her is a blessing bestowed by Mother Earth herself, something that guides her actions, too. She never destroys a plant, believing that every sapling that emerges from the soil carries some medicinal value.

People arrive at Tapovanam daily in search of medicinal plants. They are free to identify and collect what they need. Nothing is sold for money. Some visitors, however, insist on offering payment, believing that taking plants without giving something in return would not bring the desired results. Devaki Amma accepts such offerings only when they are pressed upon her.

Tapovanam has also evolved into a living classroom. Children and adults alike visit the forest to see it, study it and learn from it. To everyone who comes, Devaki Amma has just one message: "If you want to breathe, at least plant a tree and help it grow."