![\"Sayaji](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-131367589,imgsize-12574,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/131367589.jpg\" "\\"Renowned")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nSayaji Shinde, known for films such as ‘Shool’, ‘Sarkar Raj’, and ‘Sanju’, has planted more than 6.5 lakh trees across Maharashtra through his environmental movement, Sahyadri Devrai. The actor said the work began with his love for his mother and later grew into a larger effort to restore green cover. He first planted 2,000 trees in his village before expanding the initiative to several locations.<\/p>\n The Indian Express reported that Sayaji Shinde opened up about his journey in conversations with Uncut and Ashish Vidyarthi on the actor\u2019s YouTube channel. Shinde was born into a farmer\u2019s family in Maharashtra\u2019s Satara district. His family lost its land in 1978 when the government acquired it for a dam project.\u201cThe government ripped people off their money. They took our land in 1978 and they gave us a replacement in 2022,\u201d Shinde recalled while speaking to Uncut.Before entering films, Shinde worked as a watchman in the irrigation department. He later built a career in cinema, but said fame alone did not satisfy him.\u201cEverybody wants to earn name and fame. But I wanted to go beyond that,\u201d he said during his conversation with Ashish Vidyarthi.<\/p>\n Shinde said the idea took shape in 2016 during a drought-like situation in Maharashtra. He saw villagers sitting in an open field under the harsh sun with no trees around them.\u201cWhen we went to help villagers, we saw a huge meeting being held in an open field under the scorching sun. There was not a single tree anywhere. That is when it struck me, the first step to helping villages was planting trees.\u201dHis mother was 92 at the time. \u201cI realised I could not keep my mother with me till my last breath. She was already 92, and I loved her the most in this world,\u201d he said.Shinde then decided to weigh her against seeds and plant them across Maharashtra. He believed the trees would keep her memory alive through their flowers, fruits, shade, and fragrance.Through Sahyadri Devrai, Shinde now works across 48 locations. He has also helped transplant more than 200 banyan trees and plans to turn his land into a nursery for more saplings.<\/div>\nSayaji Shinde\u2019s tree plantation drive in Maharashtra<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
How Sayaji Shinde honored his mother with trees<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n