Bishnoi Community

The Bishnois are considered the first environmentalists of India. They are nature-friendly people. The brave-hearted spirits and courageous deeds shown by the Bishnoi’s that day left an indelible mark on the history.Their memories will always bear the scars of this movement.

The Bishnois of Rajhasthan

• The Bishnoi community has been conserving the region’s environment.

• The Bishnoi community is mostly located in Western Rajasthan, Northern India, and the Thar Desert region. In India, there are reportedly 6,00,000 Bishnoi Panth adherents.

• In the fifteenth century, Jambhoji, a resident of a village near Jodhpur, had a vision that people’s interference with the natural environment was what caused the region’s drought and the suffering that ensued.

• After that, he became a monk known as Swami Jambeshwar Maharaj, which was also the beginning point of the Bishnoi sect. The Bishnoi community was thus established in 1485 AD.

About the Bishnoi Sect

• The Bishnoi Sect was founded by Guru Jambheshwar (1451–1536), also known as Jambhaji.

• Jambeshwar announced a set of 29 rules. Of his 29 rules, 10 were directed towards personal hygiene and maintaining good health; 7 were for healthy social behavior; 4 were for the worship of God; and the remaining 8 were prescribed to save biodiversity. This includes a ban on killing animals and cutting green trees, thus providing protection to all life forms.

• It included principles like “Jeev Daya Palani,” which meant being compassionate to all living beings, and “Runkh Lila Nahi Ghave,” which strictly prohibited the cutting of green trees.

The Bishnoi Movement is one of the most important movements in India. This movement was started more than 300 years ago, during the 1700s (18th century). The movement is called the “Bishnoi Movement” because around 363 Bishnois died in the movement while saving trees. These people were the first to give up their lives to protect trees, back when the world wasn’t even aware of climate change.

Read below this article to find out some interesting facts about the historic Bishnoi movement, including its origin, objectives, and success.