Netizens hail environmentalist Tulsi Gowda after she receives Padma Shri barefoot

72-year-old environmentalist

Tulsi Gowda

from Karnataka was conferred Padma Shri by President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday for her immense contribution towards conservation of trees.

Gowda, regarded as an encyclopedia of

forests

, belongs to the

Halakki

indigenous tribe in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. She gained immense knowledge about

plants

while working alongside her mother when she was just 12. Now 60 years later, she has planted more than 30,000 saplings and is involved in environment conservation.

The veteran

environmentalist

won hearts after she was captured walking barefoot in the Rashtrapati Bhavan's Durbar Hall, to receive India’s fourth highest civilian award.





Many people described Gowda's photo of her receiving the prestigious Padma award as the "image of the day".



In an iconic image that has gone viral warming netizens' hearts, PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah can be seen greeting Gowda with folded hands as she walks past them to receive her award.



‘The barefoot wonder woman’



‘Her achievement is an example for new generations’


‘True pride of mother India’



‘Don’t change yourself to fit in’



‘She proves education is not limited to schools and colleges’



‘Choose your icons wisely’





'In the world of propagandists, be a real change agent'





Richly deserving



Sarcasm alert