Bishnoi

Bishnoi man shows us how to prepare opium

He also shows us how to wrap a turban

Here is a beautiful cart they had on their property

This is one of the Bishnoi dwellings

Mom and I left Aurangabad by plane for Jodhpur. There we said at Chhotaram Prajapat homestay. Chhotu the head of the homestay organizes jeep tours. We took his tour to nearby villages. Our first stop with the home of a local


The word Bishnoi is derived from Bis(twenty) + Nau(Nine) i.e. followers of 29 Principles given by Guru Jambheshwar.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.