Bishnois
Encyclopedia
The Bishnois are known as the conservationists to whom the preservation of animal and vegetable life is a religion and has been so from the early 15th century. Their spiritual mentor, Guru Jambheshwar
was a wise ecologist. He formulated Bis (twenty) + noi (nine) = Bisnoi tenets from which the community derives its name. Almost 90 per cent of the farmers of Desert region gladly accepted the 29 tenets he laid down. The tenets were 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 behavior, 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 coloring them is obtained by cutting a large quantity of shrubs.
of Bikaner, who was born in 1541 A.D, and was therefore a contemporary of Baba Nanak, the originator of Sikhism
, and is buried in Talwa/Mukam in Bikaner. His spritual name was Jambhaji. He left his followers a scripture in the Nagri character called Shabdwani. The adherents of the sect are the descendants of immigrants from Bikaner and are almost exclusive Jats and carpentars by caste, though they often abandon the caste name and describe themselves simple as Bisnois. They marry only among themselves, are good cultivators, and keep camels in large numbers. They have a ceremony of initiations, somewhat similar and known by the name as that of Sikhs. Beside this there were followers from many other castes like vaishyas like agarwals and guptas which are found mainly in UP and there main occupation is business.
and antelope
(such as blue bulls, black buck
s, chinkara
s 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 India
n cricketer.
, 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.
Beside them there are vishnois of U P who are mainly agarwals and guptas have very urban lifestye and their main occupation is business.These p[eople converted into vishnoism when guru jambheji visited nagina and various other parts of UP and rohtak city of Haryana where vaishyas lived.
Guru Jambheshwar
Guru Jambheshwar, also known as Jambhoji, was the founder of the Bishnoi Religion. He preached to worship God Almighty and stopped the worship of any thing that has taken birth and which can be seen around . He gave the message that God is a divine power that is everywhere...
was a wise ecologist. He formulated Bis (twenty) + noi (nine) = Bisnoi tenets from which the community derives its name. Almost 90 per cent of the farmers of Desert region gladly accepted the 29 tenets he laid down. The tenets were 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 behavior, 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 coloring them is obtained by cutting a large quantity of shrubs.
History
Various census of India Bishnoi are found in Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, MP and UP. Bishnois were founded by a RajputRajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
of Bikaner, who was born in 1541 A.D, and was therefore a contemporary of Baba Nanak, the originator of Sikhism
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
, and is buried in Talwa/Mukam in Bikaner. His spritual name was Jambhaji. He left his followers a scripture in the Nagri character called Shabdwani. The adherents of the sect are the descendants of immigrants from Bikaner and are almost exclusive Jats and carpentars by caste, though they often abandon the caste name and describe themselves simple as Bisnois. They marry only among themselves, are good cultivators, and keep camels in large numbers. They have a ceremony of initiations, somewhat similar and known by the name as that of Sikhs. Beside this there were followers from many other castes like vaishyas like agarwals and guptas which are found mainly in UP and there main occupation is business.
Pilgrimage places
The most prominent pilgrimage place of 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 DIST. moradabad,Sameliya, Rotu , Lalasar and Jambolav.Protection of flora and fauna
Bishnois are strong lovers of wild animals. It is because of their protection that in Bishnoi-dominated areas, deerDeer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
and antelope
Antelope
Antelope is a term referring to many even-toed ungulate species indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia. Antelopes comprise a miscellaneous group within the family Bovidae, encompassing those old-world species that are neither cattle, sheep, buffalo, bison, nor goats...
(such as blue bulls, black buck
Black Buck
For the mammal, see Blackbuck. For the RAF operation, see Operation Black Buck.In post-Reconstruction United States, Black Buck was a racial slur used to describe a certain type of African American men...
s, chinkara
Chinkara
The Chinkara is a species of gazelle found in south Asia.-Habitat and Distribution:It lives in grasslands and desert areas in India, Bangladesh and parts of Iran and Pakistan...
s 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
Salman Khan
Salman Khan is an Indian film actor. He has starred in more than 80 Hindi films.Khan, who made his acting debut with a minor role in the drama Biwi Ho To Aisi with Rekha in a lead role, had his first commercial success with the blockbuster Maine Pyar Kiya , for which he won a Filmfare Award for...
, a Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
film star and Mansur Ali Khan
Mansur Ali Khan
Mansur Ali Khan may refer to:*Mansoor Ali Khan , a South Indian actor who is prominent in Tamil films*Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, Indian cricketer; he was also 9th and last Nawab of Pataudi*Mansur Ali Khan , 1830–1884...
of Pataudi, a former India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n cricketer.
The Khejarli Massacre
The Bisnois narrate the story of Amrita Devi, a Bishnoi woman who, along with more than 366 other Bishnois, died saving the Khejarli trees. Nearly 2 centuries back, Maharajah Abhay Singh of Jodhpur required some woods 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 come 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 JodhpurJodhpur
Jodhpur , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital, Jaipur and from the city of Ajmer. It was formerly the seat of a princely state of the same name, the capital of the kingdom known as Marwar...
, 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.
The Lifestyle of Bishnois
The Bishnois are presently spread over the western parts of Rajasthan. They are more prosperous than the other communities living in the Thar Desert, probably because of their Eco-friendly lifestyle. The Bishnois are not only leading Eco-friendly life but also they are leading to Eco-friendly even in the death rites. They are teetotalers and normally they wear 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 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. They scrub the floors of the huts and the common courtyards which are always clean, and cook in earthen ovens. The mud floors are plastered with cow dung to keep vermin away. The interiors are airy and clean. Men, women and children exude robust good health. There is a granary to guard their rations and a sump for stored water. There is an easy paced dignity to life here.Beside them there are vishnois of U P who are mainly agarwals and guptas have very urban lifestye and their main occupation is business.These p[eople converted into vishnoism when guru jambheji visited nagina and various other parts of UP and rohtak city of Haryana where vaishyas lived.
Notable Bishnois
- Bhajan LalBhajan LalBhajan Lal was a politician and two-time chief minister from the northern Indian state of Haryana.-Early life:...
, MP HisarHisarHisar may refer to:* Hisar Hill, in Serbia* Hisarya, Bulgaria, also known as Hisar* Hisar District, an administrative district in the state of Haryana, India* Hisar, Haryana, a city and administrative head quarter of Hisar District...
,former Chief Minister of HaryanaHaryanaHaryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
. - Jaswant Singh BishnoiJaswant Singh BishnoiJaswant Singh Bishnoi was a member of 14th Lok Sabha .He was elected from Jodhpur constituency in 2004 as a candidate of Bharatiya Janata Party....
, a member of 14th Lok Sabha14th Lok SabhaThe 14th Lok Sabha was convened after the Indian general election, 2004 held in four phases during 20 April – 10 May 2004, which led to the formation of First Manmohan Singh Cabinet...
, from JodhpurJodhpurJodhpur , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital, Jaipur and from the city of Ajmer. It was formerly the seat of a princely state of the same name, the capital of the kingdom known as Marwar... - Kuldeep BishnoiKuldeep BishnoiKuldeep Bishnoi was a member of the 15th Lok Sabha representing the Bhiwani constituency in Haryana.He is son of former chief minister of Haryana Bhajan Lal.He has floated his own party named Haryana Janhit Congress when his father was denied chief ministerial post after 2005 assembly...
, MLA, from AdampurAdampurAdampur is a city and a municipal council in Jalandhar district in the Indian state of Punjab.-Geography:Adampur Doaba is located at . It has an average elevation of 233 metres . The nearest hill station is Dharamshala which is the headquarters of the Dalai Lama...
, Suprimo of Haryana Janhit Congress - Sanskaran Bishnoi India's emerging educationist and founder of 'Emrita'
- Narender Mohan founder Dainik jagran
- Smt Vijaylaxmi Bishnoi Ex MLA,president Congress Women cell, Rajasthan
External links
- Bishnoi Group at Surat
- Bishnoi Group - Surat
- The Bishnoi Faith
- The Bishnoi Organisation
- french website about a novel by Irène Frain "La Forêt des 29"
Further reading
- Irène Frain, La forêt des vingt-neuf Michel Lafon, 2011 455 pages ISBN 9988965054
- Article on Bishnoi published in GEO magazine (French edition) in March 2009
- Report in the Times of India dated June 18, 2005: "Bishnois put trees, animals before self."
- "Sect in India guards desert Wildlife," New York Times, February 2, 1993, p. B7