European volunteers celebrate Diwali with plantation drive near Hyderabad

European volunteers of the not-for-profit Heartfulness Institute on Wednesday planted more than 500 saplings at Kanha Shantivanam near here to celebrate Diwali.

Around 1,000 Heartfulness practitioners from Europe are visiting the park to attend a meditation and training session from October 21 to 29.

About 100 Europeans who arrived early took part in the plantation drive. In all, they will plant around 7,500 saplings.

The 'Green Kanha' initiative emphasises the need to grow ecologically, economically, and socio-culturally important native tree species.

Kanha Shantivanam is also an ex-situ conservation centre, where rare and threatened plant species are being collected from far and wide within India, said a statement by Heartfulness Institute.

More than 40,000 trees have already been planted and the aim is to reach 200,000.

More than 300 mature trees marked for felling because of road works have been transplanted at the Kanha Shantivanam.

Heartfulness is an approach to the Raja Yoga system of meditation called Sahaj Marg, founded at the turn of the 20th century and formalised into an organisation in 1945.

The Heartfulness Institute promotes well-being and self-development through meditation, research and training.

--IANS

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