GUWAHATI: Parbati Barua from Assam has been conferred the prestigious Padma Shri award at a Civil Investiture Ceremony held today in New Delhi, by the President of India Draupadi Murmu.
This honour celebrates Barua's exceptional 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 remarkable achievements in the realm of wildlife conservation. Born on March 14, 1953, Barua defied societal norms and emerged as India's first female elephant mahout, showcasing a passion for elephants and the wilderness 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 Kochugaon, Assam. Her expertise in traditional techniques, such as the Mela Shikar method, enabled her to tame over five hundred elephants without resorting to tranquilizer guns.
She is India's first Female Elephant Mahout, known as Hasti Kanya, a rare woman Elephant Trainer, credited for implementing scientific practices to reduce human-elephant conflict
Beyond her extraordinary accomplishments in elephant taming, Parbati Barua has played a pivotal role in mitigating human-elephant conflicts across multiple states in India. Collaborating closely with forest officers, she has provided herbal treatments and training to mahouts and field staff, significantly contributing to wildlife conservation efforts.
Barua's influence extends globally, with her active participation in international workshops and seminars focussed on elephant conservation. Notably, she represented India at the International Workshop on Domesticated Asian Elephants in Bangkok, Thailand, organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2001.
Parbati Barua's commitment to wildlife conservation has earned her numerous accolades, including the Asom Gaurav Award in 2023 and the United Nations Environment Program's prestigious "Global 500 - Roll of Honour" in 1989. The Government of Assam honoured her as the "Honorary Chief Elephant Warden of Asom" in 2003, recognizing her lifelong dedication to elephant welfare.
Additionally, Barua's documentary "Aparajita 2023" has garnered critical acclaim, earning her the "Nature's Warrior" Jury Award at the Kolkata International Wildlife & Environment Film Festival.
Parbati Barua receives #PadmaShri from President #DraupdiMurmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan
— PIB in Assam (@PIB_Guwahati) May 9, 2024
She is India's first Female Elephant Mahout, known as Hasti Kanya, rare woman Elephant Trainer, credited for implementing scientific practices to reduce human-elephant conflict pic.twitter.com/Pww1iboO1c
