Bhubaneswar: Sunday mornings in Bhubaneswar seem the most awaited day for plant lovers. Close to a school, a small crowd gathers not to shop essentials but to pick their free medicinal plants. And gifting them these plants is Sisir Kumar Ray (63), a retired mathematics teacher who has turned his post-retirement life into a green mission. As a weekly ritual, he moves around with a lot of medicinal and herbal plant saplings and as a personal habit, distributes to people who need those.
For Sisir, planting trees began during his teaching years and expanded later into a structured effort with the objective of greening the city and reviving awareness about traditional medicinal plants.
Sisir Kumar Ray with saplings for distribution
A native of Nirakarpur in Khordha district, Sisir has spent decades in the capital city. For nearly 30 years, Sisir taught mathematics in government schools. After retirement in July 2023 from Unit-8 Government School as a teacher, he decided his time, energy and personal savings into building something that is in the larger interest of the community. Beyond textbooks, he committed himself to environmental awareness. Even during his service, he involved students in plantation drives. Retirement only gave that effort more time and direction.
He selected a patch near Raj Bhavan, (Governor’s House) and transformed it into a medicinal garden, taking care of requirements all by himself. Despite limited space, today that same patch hosts more than 40 varieties of plants known for their healing properties. The space regularly draws attention, as people stop to pause, ask questions and often get with a sapling in hand even without asking.
Odisha Man Turns Retirement Into Green Mission Growing & Distributing 40 Plus Medicinal Plants For Free
For a few months after stepping down from service, he also taught children from underprivileged backgrounds free of cost. Now, his focus is entirely on propagating awareness about medicinal plants, both growing and making them accessible to anyone and everyone.
Every Sunday, between 7 am and 9 am, and again from 4 pm to 6 pm, he distributes saplings free of cost. On special occasions like Lakshmi Puja, the numbers rise sharply as the beneficiaries list touches 1,000 in a single day.
Sisir Kumar Ray
Among the plants he grows are a wide range of species of Tulsi, Brahmi, Arjuna, Aparajita and the insulin plant, many of which were once commonly used in traditional healthcare but are now fading from everyday knowledge.
Though initially he used to drive the initiative all by himself, support started coming gradually. Local residents have stepped in and even school authorities contributed. Sanyukta Sarangi, headmistress of a nearby government school, has extended financial assistance to sustain the initiative.
Odisha Man Turns Retirement Into Green Mission Growing & Distributing 40 Plus Medicinal Plants For Free
Sisir’s effort shows results not only in one or two schools but across five to six institutions in the city where today, stand medicinal plant gardens. These are not just green patches, but learning zones where students can identify plants and understand their uses.
Residents like Saroj Kumar Gochhi say Sisir has been planting trees across neighbourhoods for over a decade. Visitors like Harekrishna Rao, who come after hearing about the initiative, often leave surprised but happy by the variety of plants available.
Odisha Man Turns Retirement Into Green Mission Growing & Distributing 40 Plus Medicinal Plants For Free
Ask Sisir what his long-term goal is and pat comes the reply. “I want similar medicinal gardens in every ward of Bhubaneswar, provided space is made available. I also wish everyone has access to these plants and are aware about their benefits,” he says.
Something that started for Sisir in the early phase of his life has not grown into a movement for environmental protection. “Now, I have the time to take it forward.”
