Apr 04, 2006 :: Zodiac garden in Madurai

Many papers have today reported the beginning of a Zodiac Garden in land belonging to the Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple in Madurai.

The idea is that for a one time payment of Rs.501, a species of tree prescribed by Vriksha Shastra as being suited to your zodiacal sign, will be planted and maintained on temple land. Devotees who have paid for trees are permitted to perform special pujas in front of them on their birthdays.

In the first phase, five acres have been set aside and 690 people have joined the programme. The temple owns 164 acres of land that will be brought under this scheme depending on people's enthusiasm.

Clearly, religion has great potential for being used creatively to benefit the environment.