Van Mahotsav – Forest festival is a week-long annual celebration dedicated to Mother Earth and is celebrated from 1st July through 7th July. It aims at creating awareness towards the conservation of forests and plantation of trees among people.“Van” literally means Forest and “Mahotsav” is a festival so this festival raises awareness among the masses about the importance of trees, their plantation, and conservation. Van Mahotsav was started in 1950 by K.M.Munshi, the then Union Minister for Agriculture and Food to create enthusiasm among the masses for forest conservation and planting trees.
The history of Van Mahotsav Day dates back to 1947 when it was first organised by Punjabi botanist MS Randhawa from 20th to 27th July 1947. The then Delhi Police Commissioner Khurshid Ahmad Khan inaugurated the first event of Van Mahotsav on 20th July 1947 to stress the impact of deforestation on flora and fauna. A flourishing plantation drive was undertaken by national leaders like Dr. Rajendra Prasad and Jawaharlal Nehru. Since then, the tradition of celebrating Van Mahotsav and planting trees has continued. It’s a festival of life. Aims to motivate every citizen of the country to plant at least one sapling during Van Mahotsav Week.
To be part of this annual tree-planting movement in India, the National Service Scheme (NSS) Units of Asian Law College (ALC) upholds the cause of afforestation and with great enthusiasm of NSS volunteers, students, teaching and non–teaching staff launches a one-week tree planting festival from 01-07-2022 to 07-07-2022 in a bid to retain the vanishing forest covers of the country.
During this tree planting Mahotsav, the NSS volunteers will also take care to nurture these planted trees thereafter and undertake to encourage and motivate friends and family to plant at least one sapling during the seven days of celebration of Van Mahotsav.
Let’s Join our hands together for this noble cause!!!!