The word Bishnoi is derived from bis (twenty) and nai (nine) i.e. followers of 29 principles given by Guru Jambheshwar.[1] Bishnois are known as the first environment conservationists in the world. Guru Jambheshwar gave the message to protect trees and wildlife around 540 years ago when nobody could predict that harming the environment means harming yourself. He formulated twenty nine tenets. The tenets were not only tailored to conserve bio-diversity of the area but also ensured a healthy eco-friendly social life for the community.
Out of the 29 tenets, 10 are directed towards personal hygiene and maintaining good basic health, seven for healthy social behaviour, and five tenets to worship God. Eight tenets have been prescribed to preserve bio-diversity and encourage good animal husbandry. These include a ban on killing animals and felling green trees, and providing protection to all life forms. The community is also directed to see that the firewood they use is devoid of small insects. Wearing blue cloths is prohibited because the dye for colouring them is obtained by cutting a large quantity of shrubs.
In 1730, 363 Bishnoi men, women and children gave their lives to protect trees from cutting by the then king's men. This incident happened in Khejarli which is a village in Jodhpur district of Rajasthan, India 26 km south-east of the city of Jodhpur. In this incident 363 Bishnois sacrificed their lives while protecting trees, by hugging to them, this incident is the first event of the Chipko movement in history.In various census of India, Bishnois are found in Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Bishnois were founded by Guru Jambheshwar of Bikaner, who was born in 1451, and is buried in Talwa/Mukam in Bikaner. His spiritual name was Jambhaji. He left his followers a scripture in the Nagri character called Shabdwani which consists of 120 SHABDS. The adherents of the sect are the descendants of immigrants from Bikaner, parts of Haryana and Punjab and are exclusively Jats or some Rajputs by caste, though they often abandon the caste name and describe themselves simple as Bishnoi. They do not allow inter-caste marriage. Beside this there were followers from many other castes like Vaishyas, Agarwals and Guptas which are found mainly in Uttar Pradesh. Once their main occupation was business, but today Bishnois have drastically grown in the fields of IT, engineering, government work, defence services, diplomacy or social workers.[2](pxviii)The most prominent places of pilgrimage f the Bishnois is situated at village called Mukam in Nokha Tehsil, Bikaner District, Rajasthan. Other important pilgrimage places belonging to the Bishnois are Samrathal Dhora (situated 3 km from Mukam), Pipasar, Jangloo, Lohawat, Lodipur, Bhur Tiba and Prachin Vishnoi Mandir Kanth District, Moradabad, Sameliya, Rotu, Lalasar and Jambolav.Bishnois are strong lovers of wild animals. It is because of their protection that in Bishnoi-dominated areas, deer and antelope (such as blue bulls, black bucks, chinkaras and chowsinghas) are seen grazing in their fields despite the fact that the state of Rajasthan where the Bishnois mainly live, faces severe water shortages.
In recent years, the Bishnoi community has launched strong protests against the killing of black bucks by Salman Khan, a Bollywood film star and Mansur Ali Khan of Pataudi, a former Indian cricketer.
Cenotaph of Bishnoi martyrs at Khejarli, who laid down their lives in 1730 protecting trees
[edit]The Khejarli Massacre
The Bisnois narrate the story of Amrita Devi, a Bishnoi woman who, along with more than 363 other Bishnois, died saving the Khejarli trees. Nearly two centuries back, Maharajah Abhay Singh of Jodhpur required wood for the construction of his new palace. So the king sent his soldiers to cut trees in the nearby region of Khejarli, where the village is filled with the large number of trees. But when Amrita Devi and local villagers came to know about it, they opposed the king's men. The malevolent feudal party told her that if she wanted the trees to be spared, she would have to give them money as bribe. She refused to acknowledge this demand and told them that she would consider it as an act of insult to her religious faith and would rather give away her life to save the green trees. This is still remembered as the great Khejarli sacrifice. Some Bishnois who were killed protecting the trees were buried in Khejerli village near Jodhpur, where a simple grave with four pillars had been erected. Every year, in September, the Bishnois assemble there to commemorate the extreme sacrifice made by their people to preserve their faith and religion.
[edit]The lifestyle of Bishnois
The Bishnois are presently spread over the western parts of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh. They are teetotalers and normally they wear a white shirt, dhoti and turban. This dress pattern is ideal for the hot dry desert climate. They pay special attention to cleanliness in their houses. Only one crop of pearl millet (bajra) is grown during the monsoon season. The bushes, which grow in the fields, protect the loose sand from wind erosion and provide the much-needed fodder for animals during a famine. Bisnois often live in little hamlets called Dhannis, with just a few round huts with intricate thatched roofs. The mud floors are plastered with cow dung to keep vermin away. The interiors are airy and clean. There is a granary to guard their rations and a sump for stored water. Bishnois in Haryana and Punjab are much wealthier then other castes.
[edit]29 Rules in English
Observe 30 days state of untouchability after child's birth
Observe 5 days segregation while a woman is in her menses
Bath early morning
Obey the ideal rules of life: Modesty
Obey the ideal rules of life: Patience or satisfactions
Obey the ideal rules of life: Purifications
Perform Sandhya two times a day
Eulogise God, The Lord Vishnu in evening hours (Aarti)
Perform Yajna (Havan) every morning
Filter the water, milk and firewood
Speak pure words in all sincerity
Adopt the rule of forgiveness and pity
Do not steal
Do not condemn or criticize
Do not lie
Do not waste the time on argument
Fasting on Amavashya and offer prayers to Lord Vishnu
Have pity on all living beings and love them
Do not cut the green trees, save environment
Crush lust, anger, greed and attachment
Accept food and water from our purified people only
To provide a common shelter for male goat/sheep to avoid them being slaughtered in abattoirs
Don't sterilise the ox
Don't use opium
Don't smoke and use tobacco
Don't take bhang or hemp
Don't take wine or any type of liquor
Don't eat meat, remain always pure vegetarian
Never use blue clothes
[edit]Notable Bishnois
Late Ch. Bhajan Lal, Former chief minister, Haryana
Late Ch. Mani Ram Godara, Former home minister, Haryana
Sh. Kuldeep Bishnoi, MP (Hisar), Supremo, Haryana Janhit Congress
Sh. Salil Bishnoi, MLA, Kanpur
Sh. Ajay Bishnoi, Minister, Madhya Pradesh
Sh. Ajay Kumar Bishnoi, Industrialist, Chennai
Sh. Shriram Bishnoi, Industrialist, Delhi
Sh. Het Ram Bishnoi, Industrialist, Rasisar
Sh. Malaram Dudi Architects Interior Designer Mumbai
Dr Satya Prakash Vishnoi, Asst. Professor Department of Pharmacy, S.N.Medical college, AGRA (UTTAR PRADESH)
^ "The Desert Dwellers of Rajasthan – Bishnoi and Bhil people". 2004. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
^ "Various census of India". 1883. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
* Dr Ram Kishan Bishnoi , Asst. Project Manager JK Trust From Pilwa Rajsthan
Out of the 29 tenets, 10 are directed towards personal hygiene and maintaining good basic health, seven for healthy social behaviour, and five tenets to worship God. Eight tenets have been prescribed to preserve bio-diversity and encourage good animal husbandry. These include a ban on killing animals and felling green trees, and providing protection to all life forms. The community is also directed to see that the firewood they use is devoid of small insects. Wearing blue cloths is prohibited because the dye for colouring them is obtained by cutting a large quantity of shrubs.
In 1730, 363 Bishnoi men, women and children gave their lives to protect trees from cutting by the then king's men. This incident happened in Khejarli which is a village in Jodhpur district of Rajasthan, India 26 km south-east of the city of Jodhpur. In this incident 363 Bishnois sacrificed their lives while protecting trees, by hugging to them, this incident is the first event of the Chipko movement in history.In various census of India, Bishnois are found in Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Bishnois were founded by Guru Jambheshwar of Bikaner, who was born in 1451, and is buried in Talwa/Mukam in Bikaner. His spiritual name was Jambhaji. He left his followers a scripture in the Nagri character called Shabdwani which consists of 120 SHABDS. The adherents of the sect are the descendants of immigrants from Bikaner, parts of Haryana and Punjab and are exclusively Jats or some Rajputs by caste, though they often abandon the caste name and describe themselves simple as Bishnoi. They do not allow inter-caste marriage. Beside this there were followers from many other castes like Vaishyas, Agarwals and Guptas which are found mainly in Uttar Pradesh. Once their main occupation was business, but today Bishnois have drastically grown in the fields of IT, engineering, government work, defence services, diplomacy or social workers.[2](pxviii)The most prominent places of pilgrimage f the Bishnois is situated at village called Mukam in Nokha Tehsil, Bikaner District, Rajasthan. Other important pilgrimage places belonging to the Bishnois are Samrathal Dhora (situated 3 km from Mukam), Pipasar, Jangloo, Lohawat, Lodipur, Bhur Tiba and Prachin Vishnoi Mandir Kanth District, Moradabad, Sameliya, Rotu, Lalasar and Jambolav.Bishnois are strong lovers of wild animals. It is because of their protection that in Bishnoi-dominated areas, deer and antelope (such as blue bulls, black bucks, chinkaras and chowsinghas) are seen grazing in their fields despite the fact that the state of Rajasthan where the Bishnois mainly live, faces severe water shortages.
In recent years, the Bishnoi community has launched strong protests against the killing of black bucks by Salman Khan, a Bollywood film star and Mansur Ali Khan of Pataudi, a former Indian cricketer.
Cenotaph of Bishnoi martyrs at Khejarli, who laid down their lives in 1730 protecting trees
[edit]The Khejarli Massacre
The Bisnois narrate the story of Amrita Devi, a Bishnoi woman who, along with more than 363 other Bishnois, died saving the Khejarli trees. Nearly two centuries back, Maharajah Abhay Singh of Jodhpur required wood for the construction of his new palace. So the king sent his soldiers to cut trees in the nearby region of Khejarli, where the village is filled with the large number of trees. But when Amrita Devi and local villagers came to know about it, they opposed the king's men. The malevolent feudal party told her that if she wanted the trees to be spared, she would have to give them money as bribe. She refused to acknowledge this demand and told them that she would consider it as an act of insult to her religious faith and would rather give away her life to save the green trees. This is still remembered as the great Khejarli sacrifice. Some Bishnois who were killed protecting the trees were buried in Khejerli village near Jodhpur, where a simple grave with four pillars had been erected. Every year, in September, the Bishnois assemble there to commemorate the extreme sacrifice made by their people to preserve their faith and religion.
[edit]The lifestyle of Bishnois
The Bishnois are presently spread over the western parts of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh. They are teetotalers and normally they wear a white shirt, dhoti and turban. This dress pattern is ideal for the hot dry desert climate. They pay special attention to cleanliness in their houses. Only one crop of pearl millet (bajra) is grown during the monsoon season. The bushes, which grow in the fields, protect the loose sand from wind erosion and provide the much-needed fodder for animals during a famine. Bisnois often live in little hamlets called Dhannis, with just a few round huts with intricate thatched roofs. The mud floors are plastered with cow dung to keep vermin away. The interiors are airy and clean. There is a granary to guard their rations and a sump for stored water. Bishnois in Haryana and Punjab are much wealthier then other castes.
[edit]29 Rules in English
Observe 30 days state of untouchability after child's birth
Observe 5 days segregation while a woman is in her menses
Bath early morning
Obey the ideal rules of life: Modesty
Obey the ideal rules of life: Patience or satisfactions
Obey the ideal rules of life: Purifications
Perform Sandhya two times a day
Eulogise God, The Lord Vishnu in evening hours (Aarti)
Perform Yajna (Havan) every morning
Filter the water, milk and firewood
Speak pure words in all sincerity
Adopt the rule of forgiveness and pity
Do not steal
Do not condemn or criticize
Do not lie
Do not waste the time on argument
Fasting on Amavashya and offer prayers to Lord Vishnu
Have pity on all living beings and love them
Do not cut the green trees, save environment
Crush lust, anger, greed and attachment
Accept food and water from our purified people only
To provide a common shelter for male goat/sheep to avoid them being slaughtered in abattoirs
Don't sterilise the ox
Don't use opium
Don't smoke and use tobacco
Don't take bhang or hemp
Don't take wine or any type of liquor
Don't eat meat, remain always pure vegetarian
Never use blue clothes
[edit]Notable Bishnois
Late Ch. Bhajan Lal, Former chief minister, Haryana
Late Ch. Mani Ram Godara, Former home minister, Haryana
Sh. Kuldeep Bishnoi, MP (Hisar), Supremo, Haryana Janhit Congress
Sh. Salil Bishnoi, MLA, Kanpur
Sh. Ajay Bishnoi, Minister, Madhya Pradesh
Sh. Ajay Kumar Bishnoi, Industrialist, Chennai
Sh. Shriram Bishnoi, Industrialist, Delhi
Sh. Het Ram Bishnoi, Industrialist, Rasisar
Sh. Malaram Dudi Architects Interior Designer Mumbai
Dr Satya Prakash Vishnoi, Asst. Professor Department of Pharmacy, S.N.Medical college, AGRA (UTTAR PRADESH)
^ "The Desert Dwellers of Rajasthan – Bishnoi and Bhil people". 2004. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
^ "Various census of India". 1883. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
* Dr Ram Kishan Bishnoi , Asst. Project Manager JK Trust From Pilwa Rajsthan
