Walking with the Bishnois

The love that the Bishnois have for other forms of life is the stuff legends are made of. So if you would like to be woken up early in the morning by the call of peafowl or open your eyes to find a chinkara staring right back, the Bishnoi villages near Jodhpur are a haven for you. A Bishnoi treats these animals as family. It is said that if you are a hunter, then the worst thing that could happen to you is to be caught hunting by a Bishnoi. It is because of their protection that, in Bishnoi-dominated areas, deer, bluebull, blackbuck, chinkara and chousingha are seen grazing peacefully in the fields.


A 40-minute drive from Jodhpur will take you to Khejarli village— where one actually comes to realise the true meaning of ‘loving wildlife.’ Khejarli is also where the Chipko movement originated as early as 1730. It is said that the ruler, Maharaja Abhay Singh, sent men to fell the khejri trees surrounding the village. Amrita Devi and her three daughters hugged the trees, saying, “Sir, santhe runkh raheb, toh bhi sastojaan (it is a small price to pay if, at the cost of my head, a tree can be saved).” By the time the news reached the king, 363 Bishnois had sacrificed their lives.

The village women are often seen cradling blackbuck fawns alongside their own children. Apart from the variety of deer and peafowl, many birds such as white-eared bulbuls, ibises, partridges, quails, demoiselle cranes and other migratory birds can be seen. Though Khejarli is a day trip from Jodhpur, do try and have a meal with the Bishnois—their warmth knows no bounds. The best time to be there is between October and March, summer is really hot.

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