A wedding ceremony is in progress in a village in the Kumaon hills. The priest is chanting shlokas and mantras while the groom plants a sapling and his bride waters it. The plant will be taken care of by the parents and friends of the bride once she leaves for her groom's hosue. This is the 'Maiti ritual', which is an integral part of wedding ceremonies in the Kumaon. Women in the region had been affected the most by deforestation: they had to walk for miles in search of grass, wood and drinking water. But, this uniquq Maiti ritual in the Kumaon hills has made a startling difference to the forest cover in the state of Uttaranchal.