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Bishnoi/Vishnoi
बिश्नोई (Hindi) ਬਿਸ਼ਨੋਈ (Punjabi)
Bishnois performing havan with kopra and ghee at Khejarli Environment Fair
Classification	Sub sect of Vaishnavism
Guru	Guru Jambheshwar
Mantra	"Vishnu Vishnu Tu Bhan Re Prani"
Religions	Hinduism
Languages	Marwari Rajasthani Bagri Hindi Haryanvi Punjabi
Country	India
Populated states	Major: Rajasthan Minor: Haryana Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab Gujarat
Region	Western India Northern India
Population	Around 1500000

The Bishnoi, also spelled as Vishnoi, is a Hindu Vaishnava community or panth found in the Western Thar Desert and northern states of India. Sometimes, it is referred to as a caste. It has a set of 29 Niyamas (principles/commandments) given by Guru Jambheshwar (also known as Guru Jambhoji, Guru Jambha) (1451–1536). As of 2010, there are an estimated 600,000 followers of Bishnoi Panth residing in northern and central India. Shree Guru Jambheshwar founded the sect at Samrathal Dhora in 1485 and his teachings, comprising 120 shabads, are known as Shabadwani. He preached for the next 51 years, travelling across India. The preaching of Guru Jambhoji inspires his followers as well as environmental protectors.

Etymology

The term bishnoi is believed to be derived from bis (twenty) and nau (nine) and hence, it denotes the twenty nine principles of their sect.

Origin

Bishnoi is a panth who adopted the 29 principles which emphasised social ethics, environmental conservation and personal hygiene. These people’s are mostly from the Jat community.

However they also includes some members from Bania, Rajput, Khati and Gaena.

Clan structure

There are 360 gotras of Bishnois which are considered to be of equal social status and they regulate marriage alliances. These gotras include Pawar, Godara, Khichore, Dhaka, Biria etc.

History

Bishnoi Panth was founded by Shree Guru Jambheshwar (1451–1536), also known as Jambhoji. Some people have used the term Vishnoi, meaning followers of Vishan (Vishnu's name in local dialect), while most refer to themselves as Bishnoi. Adherents are also known as Jambeshwarpanthi because of their devotion to their Guru, Jambeshwar.

Shree Guru Jambeshwar announced a set of 29 Niyamas(Tenets). These were contained in a document called Shabadwani, written in the Nagri script, which consists of 120 shabads. Of his 29 Niyamas, ten are directed towards personal hygiene and maintaining good basic health, seven for healthy social behaviour, and four tenets to the worship of God. Eight Niyamas have been prescribed to preserve bio-diversity and encourage good animal husbandry. These include a ban on killing animals and cutting 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 clothes is prohibited because the dye for colouring them is obtained by cutting a large quantity of shrubs. They are called the first eco-warriors due to their pro-active approach in conserving ecological balance and protecting the environment. The word Bishnoi is derived from 'bis' and 'noi'. In the local language, 'Bis' means '20’ and 'Noi' means '9’. When both are added, the sum is 29.

29 rules or principles

The 29 principles (20 Niyamas + 9 Yamas) of Bishnois are as follows:

1. Observe a 30-day state of impurity after childbirth, and keep the mother and child away from household activities.
2. Observe five-day segregation from households activities such as cooking food, serving water, etc. while a woman is in her menses.
3. Bathe daily in the morning before sunrise.
4. Obey the ideal rules of life: modesty, Kshama (patience), or Santosha (satisfactions), Shaucha (cleanliness).
5. Puja (Pray) twice every day (morning and evening).
6. Eulogize God, Vishnu, in the evening (Aarti)
7. Performance of Yajna (Havan) is said by Guru jambhoji to symbolize Homa as the process to distance lust, anger, greed, attachment and ego from oneself to attain ultimate freedom, bliss, peace and truth. This is also said for being a better human being.
8. Use filtered water, milk, and cleaned firewood or use cooking fuel after removing living organisms around it.
9. Speak Satya (Pure words) in all Arjava (Sincerity.)
10. Practice Kshama (Forgiveness) and Karuṇā (kindness) from the heart.
11. Be merciful with sincerity.
12. Achourya (Do not steal) nor harbour any intention to do it.
13. Do not condemn or criticize.
14. Do not lie.
15. Do not indulge in disputes or conflicts.
16. Vrata (fast) on Amavasya.
17. Worship and recite the name of Lord Vishnu in adoration.
18. Be merciful to all living beings and love them. And, love is when you do not demand, possess and expect.
19. Do not cut green trees, save the environment.
20. Keep away from Kama (lust), Krodha (anger), Lobha (greed), and Mohā (attachment). Use one's strength for the right cause and fight for righteousness till the last breath. This will take one to eternity.
21. Cook one's own food and be self-sufficient.
22. Provide shelters for abandoned animals to avoid them from being slaughtered in abattoirs.
23. Do not sterilize bulls, do not abandon male calves from dairy farms. Pay for their welfare to shelter them.
24. Do not use or trade opium.
25. Do not smoke or use tobacco or its products.
26. Do not take bhang or hemp or any addiction which can weak human mind or body.
27. Do not drink alcohol/liquor because alcohol degrades health very rapidly.
28. Do not eat meat, always remain vegan or ethical lacto-vegetarian.
29. Do not wear blue attire of blue colour as this colour is extracted from the indigo plant.

Places of pilgrimage

The Bishnoi have various temples and mausolea, of which they consider the holiest to be that in the village of Mukam in Nokha tehsil, Bikaner district, Rajasthan. There sacred sites of the Bishnois are locally known as Sathri or Dhām, located in places that have some connection with Guru Jambheshwar. The Bishnoi poet Govind Ram has said that Sathri means a place that has been 'purified by the feet of Jambhoji'. Later on, some significant places came to be called Dhām. "Open-air shrines located in fields or under trees are called Thān. During those periods of time when the thān is associated with some kind of miracle or super-natural event, the shrine is called dhām." Main eight shrines of the Bishnois are collectively called Ashtadhām.

Peepasar dhām, in Nagaur, is the birth place of Shri Guru Jambheshwar Bhagwan, Ialso called avatār sthal - the site of reincarnation. The place has a residence of Thakur Lohatji, childhood home of Jambhoji and an old Khejri tree. On Janmashtami, also the birthdate of Hindu deity Krishna, is celebrated at Peepasar.

Muktidham Mukam  , in Nokha District in Bikaner, is the most important religious place of the Bishnoi community. Jambhoji's last rites were performed here. Bishnois believe that Guruji is still resting here. A marbled beautiful temple is built here which is also called "Taj Mahal of Rajasthan'. An old Khejri tree under which Jambhoji's body was buried is considered sacred and devotees circumambule around it. To enter the temple one has to the head as a mark of respect.

Samrathal Dhora dhām is situated less than three kilometres south of Muktidham Mukam. This is a site where maximum sermons of Shri Guru Jambheshwar Bhagwan were delivered. It os also the site of the origin of the Bishnoi sect. There is a temple at the Samrathal Dhora and one sacred pond.

Lohawat is situated in south of Phalaudi, Jodhpur. There is a legend that Jambhohi gave darshan to the Jodhpur prince Maldev. This place also has a temple.

Janglu is a village in Nokha, Bikaner. The Bishnoi temple in this village is of special significance as it has a collection of personal use objects of Jambhoji. There is also a fire altar in the village in which a Havan was performed by Jambhoji.

Rotu village situated in Jayal tehsil of Nagaur district. It is forty five kilometer north of Nagaur. Guru Jambheshwar is believed to have visited the village. A huge shrine of Jambhoji is erected here. A plaque of Jambhoji, called khanda that belonged to his devotee and contemporary Dudoji is preserved in this temple.

Jambha dhām or Jambholav is situated near Phalodi in Jodhpur district. This site is known for practical application of teachings of Guru Jambhoji. He got a holy pond dug, which came to be popularly known as - Jambha Talaw or Jambh Sarvovar. In common parlance it soon became Jambholav. It is a religious place, almost a pilgrimage site, for Bishnoi community. A fair is held annually on the Chaitra Amavasya following the Indian lunar calendar.

Lalasar is situated South-east of Bikaner. This is the place where Guru Jambhoji died. His body was later taken to Mukam. A grand temple is constructed here very recently through huge community funding.

Attachment towards living beings

Bishnois are known for guarding the flora and fauna of Thar region. They believe that they will be reborn as deers in their afterlife.

Khejarli massacre

The Bishnoi narrate the story of Amrita Devi, a member of the sect who inspired as many as 363 other Bishnois to go to their deaths in protest of the cutting down of Khejri trees on 12 September 1730. The Maharaja of Jodhpur, Abhay Singh, requiring wood for the construction of a new palace, sent soldiers to cut trees in the village of Khejarli, which was called Jehnad at that time. Noticing their actions, Amrita Devi hugged a tree in an attempt to stop them. Her family then adopted the same strategy, as did other local people when the news spread. She told the soldiers that she considered their actions to be an insult to her faith and that she was prepared to die to save the trees. The soldiers did indeed kill her and others until Abhay Singh was informed of what was going on and intervened to stop the massacre.

Some of the 363 Bishnois who were killed protecting the trees were buried in Khejarli, where a simple grave with four pillars was erected. Every year, in September, i.e., Shukla Dashmi of Bhadrapad (Hindi month) the Bishnois assemble there to commemorate the sacrifice made by their people to preserve the trees.

Salman Khan's poaching case

Bishnois revere and care for most animals including the blackbuck. Bollywood actor Salman Khan allegedly hunted blackbucks in 1998. The members of Bishnoi community are said to have caught him red-handed; protests from the community forced the authorities to arrest and try him. In 2023, gangster Lawrence Bishnoi threatened to kill Salman Khan if he doesn't apologise to the Bishnoi community for killing the blackbucks.

Notable people

• Bhajan Lal, former Chief Minister of Haryana
• Lawrence Bishnoi, an Indian gangster

See also

• Chipko movement
• Guru Jambeshwar University of Science and Technology
• Guru Jambheshwar
• Amrita Devi Bishnoi National Award

References

1. B.K. Sharma, Seema Kulshreshtha, Asad R. Rahmani (2013). Faunal Heritage of Rajasthan, India. Springer. p. 221. ISBN 978-1461408000. The Bishnoi, a religious sect turned caste residing in Western Rajasthan is a living apostle of eco-friendliness and conservation.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
2. "The Desert Dwellers of Rajasthan – bishnoi and Bhil people". 2004. Archived from the original on 16 December 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
3. "India's Bishnoi community: The original eco-warriors". Deccan Herald. 1 December 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
4. "Bishnoi community outraged over serving deer to cheetahs, threatens nation-wide protest as it writes to PM Modi". TimesNow. 20 September 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
5. Kapur, Akash (7 October 2010). "A Hindu Sect Devoted to the Environment". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
6. Akash Kapur, A Hindu Sect Devoted to the Environment, New York Times, 8 Oct 2010.
7. "When Amrita Devi and 362 Bishnois sacrificed their lives for the Khejri tree". Sahapedia. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
8. Devi, Parnashree (13 October 2012). "Bishnoi Community : The Ecologist". My Travel Diary. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
9. Singh, K.S. (1998). India's communities A-G. OUP. p. 505. ISBN 978-0-19-563354-2. The name Bishnoi is derived from the words bis (twenty) and nau (nine), and thus denotes the twenty nine tenets of their faith.
10. Ghai, Rajat (15 October 2024). "'Cultivators', 'Curious sect': How the British viewed the Bishnoi". Down To Earth. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
11. Census of India, 1901. 1902.
12. Singh, K.S. (1998). India's communities A-G. OUP. p. 505. ISBN 978-0-19-563354-2. The Bishnoi are believed to be descended from a number of communities like Jat, Bania, Rajput, Khati and Gaena. On becoming Bishnoi, they commonly give up their caste names and call themselves after their new creed.
13. Singh, K.S. (1998). India's communities A-G. OUP. p. 505. ISBN 978-0-19-563354-2. The Bishnoi have 360 gotras which are of equal social status and regulate marriage alliances; a few of these gotras are Godara, Pawar, Khichore, Dhaka and Biria.
14. ^ Jain, Pankaj (2011). Dharma and Ecology of Hindu Communities: Sustenance and Sustainability. Routledge. p. 52. ISBN 978-1-40940-591-7.
15. Menon, Gangadharan (3 July 2012). "The Land of The Bishnois - Where Conservation Of Wildlife Is A Religion!". The Better India. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
16. Duxbury, Nancy, ed. (2021). "Eco-warriors Bishnois for cultural tourism in Rajasthan". Cultural Sustainability, Tourism and Development. Routledge. doi:10.4324/9780367201777. ISBN 9780367201777. S2CID 241100955.
17. "Bishnoi Samaj, Rajasthan, India".
18. "Bishnois raise concern over felling of Khejri trees". Hindustan Times. 12 April 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
19. "Meet the Bishnoi community who won't cut down living trees, know more about bishnoi community". bishnoisamaj. 2 December 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
20. Jain, Pankaj (2011). Dharma and Ecology of Hindu Communities: Sustenance and Sustainability. Routledge. p. 53. ISBN 978-1-40940-591-7.
21. Bharucha, Rustom (2003). Rajasthan, an Oral History: Conversations with Komal Kothari. Penguin Books India. ISBN 978-0-14-302959-5.
22. Chaturvedi, Neekee (2018). Cultural Tourism and Bishnois of Rajasthan. Department of History & Indian Culture, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur & Rajasthan Granthagar, Jodhpur. ISBN 978-93-87297-12-8.
23. "The Bishnoi, blackbuck and chinkara: What exactly were Guru Jambheshwar's principles regarding Thar wildlife?". downtoearth.org. 13 October 2024.
24. Bir Bahadur, K. V. Krishnamurthy, T. Pullaiah, ed. (2017). Ethnobotany of India, Volume 5. Apple Academic Press. ISBN 978-1-351-74131-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link)
25. Jain, Pankaj (2011). Dharma and Ecology of Hindu Communities: Sustenance and Sustainability. Routledge. p. 51. ISBN 978-1-40940-591-7.
26. "The Bishnois". edugreen.teri.res.in. Archived from the original on 2 September 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
27. Mehra, Satya Prakash. "Nature Conservation is my Religion". The Viewspaper. Archived from the original on 2 June 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
28. "Global Nonviolent Action Database". Retrieved 22 April 2017.
29. Nanditha Krishna (2014). Sacred Animals of Krishna. Penguin UK. ISBN 978-8184751826. The determined protests of the Bishnois, who claimed to have caught the actor red-handed and on whose land the hunting had taken place, resulted in his arrest and trial.
30. "Lawrence Bishnoi says his goal is to kill Salman Khan". The Times of India. 20 March 2023.
31. "Will Caste Politics Overturn BJP's Anti-incumbency in Haryana?". The Wire. 19 September 2024.
32. "Salman Khan to Sidhu Moosewala: What Lawrence Bishnoi said in 'jail interview'". Hindustan Times. 15 March 2023.

Further reading

• "Temple Profile: Mandir Shri Jambho J". Government of Rajasthan. Archived from the original on 19 September 2014. Retrieved 2014-07-27.
• Chandla, M. S. (1998). Jambhoji: Messiah of the Thar Desert. Aurva Publications.
• Chandla, M. S. (2001). The Bishnois: Wildlife Protection - An Article of Faith (PDF). Aurva Publications.
• Jain, Pankaj (2011). Dharma and Ecology of Hindu Communities: Sustenance and Sustainability.
• Chaturvedi, Neekee (2018). Cultural tourism and Bishnois of Rajasthan. Jaipur: University of Rajasthan. Department of History & Indian Culture. ISBN 978-93-87297-12-8. OCLC 1035321182.

• Social groups of Rajasthan
• Surnames of Indian origin
• Social groups of Haryana
• Social groups of Uttar Pradesh
• Social groups of Madhya Pradesh
• Sects that require vegetarianism