Achi news desk-
GUWAHATI: Parbati Barua of Assam was conferred with the prestigious Padma Shri award at a civil inquiry ceremony held in New Delhi today, by the President of India Draupadi Murmu.
This honor recognizes Barua’s extraordinary dedication and pioneering efforts in the field of social work, particularly her work in elephant conservation and wildlife management.
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Parbati Barua, a scion of the royal family of Gauripur, Assam, has carved a path of extraordinary achievements in the field of wildlife conservation. Born on March 14, 1953, Barua defied societal norms and emerged as India’s first female elephant, displaying a passion for elephants and the desert from an early age.
At the age of 14, she embarked on her journey by successfully domesticating her first elephant in the dense forests of Cochugaon, Assam. Her expertise in traditional techniques, such as the Mela Shikar method, allowed her to tame over five hundred elephants without the need for tranquilizer guns.
She is the first female elephant mahout in India, known as Hasti Kanya, a rare elephant trainer, who is credited with applying scientific methods to reduce conflict between humans and elephants
Beyond her extraordinary achievements as an elephant champion, Parvati Barua has played a major role in reducing human-elephant conflicts in many states of India. Working closely with forest officers, she provided herbal treatments and training to mahouts and field staff, contributing significantly to wildlife conservation efforts.
Barua’s influence extends worldwide, with her active participation in international workshops and seminars focused on elephant conservation. Notably, she represented India at the International Workshop on Domesticated Asian Elephants in Bangkok, Thailand, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2001.
Parbati Barua’s commitment to wildlife conservation has earned her many accolades, including the 2023 Asom Gaurav Award and the prestigious UN Environment Programme. "Global 500 – Honor Roll" In 1989. The Government of Assam honored her as "Asom’s honorary chief elephant commander" In 2003, recognition of her lifelong dedication to the welfare of elephants.
In addition, the documentary by Barua "Aprajita 2023" won the praise of the critics, and deserved it "Nature’s warrior" Kolkata International Wildlife and Environment Film Festival Jury Award.
Parbati Barua accepts #PadmaShri from the president #DraupdiMurmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan
She is India’s first female elephant mahout, known as Hasti Kanya, a rare elephant trainer who is credited with implementing scientific practices to reduce human-elephant conflict. pic.twitter.com/Pww1iboO1c
— PIB in Assam (@PIB_Guwahati) May 9, 2024
