Dubai temple distributes 2k saplings, sets world record
dubai — To celebrate World Sikh Environment Day and the Sikh New Year, a Dubai temple broke the world record for distributing the maximum number of plant saplings.
Over 2,000 saplings were given out to school students on Sunday, to celebrating the late UAE Founder Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s legacy.
Guru Nanak Darbar Gurudwara Sikh temple gave Delhi Private School (DPS) students in Jebel Ali 2,083 plant saplings, to remind the young generation about environment protection. With that, the temple broke the Guinness World Record for the largest distribution of saplings, after exceeding the minimum requirement of 1,500 saplings.
The event is in line with the Year of Zayed 2018, commemorating the life, values and achievements of Sheikh Zayed, who was a true champion of environment conservation and sustainability.
About 2,500 students from all grade levels participated in the event, that also saw government officials and diplomats planting seeds to encourage students to follow the leaders’ footsteps, in greening the earth.
The Sikh Gurudwara in Dubai previously broke the Guinness World Record for the ‘Most Nationalities Having a Continental Breakfast’ after gathering 101 nationalities of various faiths for breakfast last year.
Surender Kandhari, chairman of the Al Dobowi Group, said taking care of the environment is part of the Sikh ethos, and one that the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurudwara hopes to remind today’s younger generation about.
“We only have one earth. This is our home. The same way we take care of our houses, we should be
We only have one earth. This is our home. The same way we take care of our houses, we should be concerned about preserving the environment.” Surender Kandhari, chairman of the Al Dobowi Group
concerned about preserving the environment,” Kandhari said, during his address to government officials and diplomats at the school. “Our main aim is to teach our children to protect their environment, as our existence is entirely dependent on its limited resources,” he said.
Kandhari added that each plant distributed goes just beyond expanding the greenery — it serves as symbolism of hope to the younger generation.
With the generational change and the spread of gadgets, Artificial Intelligence, virtual reality and robotics that will overtake the future, today’s children do not get to explore nature, run on fields and play in the mud. Given the fast pace of technology, Kandhari said, it has never been more important to remind the future generation of the importance of going green.
Sheikh Zayed turned the desert into a green haven through tree planta-tion projects and passionately believed in social, economic and environmental sustainability, noted Kandhari.
Under Zayed’s leadership and over the years, the UAE planted over 100 million trees within its borders, and 41 million palm trees.
Vipul, Consul General of India in Dubai, said where there’s desert and water scarcity in the region, the UAE managed to focus on sustainability and protect its natural resources. “There’s a lot to learn from them about sustainable living,” he said.
The school children were encouraged to nurture the plant they were given or start planting trees to do their bit for the environment.
In a year, an average tree inhales 26 pounds of carbon dioxide, an amount emitted by a car after driving 11,000 miles.