Bishnoi

Bishnoi (also known as Vishnoi) is a religious group found in the Western Thar Desert and northern states of India. They follow a set of 29 principles given by Guru Jambheshwar.[1] Jambheshwar, who lived in the 15th century, said that trees and wildlife should be protected, prophesying that harming the environment means harming oneself.

History

Bishnoism was founded by Guru Jambheshwar of Bikaner, who was born in 1499, and is buried in Talwa/Mukam in Bikaner. He announced a set of 29 tenets, from which the name Bishnoi is derived (bish means twenty, noi means nine). His spiritual name was Jambhaji.[2][3][4] These were contained in a document written in the Nagri script called Shabdwani, which consists of 120 shabds. Of his 29 tenets, ten are directed towards personal hygiene and maintaining good basic health, seven for healthy social behaviour, and five tenets to the worship of 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 clothes is prohibited because the dye for colouring them is obtained by cutting a large quantity of shrubs.

Demographics

Bishnois are found in Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. The adherents of the sect are the descendants of immigrants from Bikaner, parts of Haryana and Punjab and are exclusively Jats and Rajputs by caste, though they often abandon the caste name and describe themselves simply as Bishnois. They do not allow intercaste marriage. In addition, there are followers from castes such as the Agrawals and Guptas, most of whom are located in Uttar Pradesh.

Places of pilgrimage

The most prominent places of pilgrimage of the Bishnois is situated at village called Mukam in a temple in Nokha Tehsil, Bikaner District, Rajasthan.[5][6] 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 District, Moradabad, Sameliya, Rotu, Lalasar and Jambolav.Kuka (bhinmal) also a palace for 29 followers.

Khejarli Massacre

The Bishnoi narrate the story of Amrita Devi, a Bishnoi woman who, along with more than 363 other Bishnois, died saving the Khejarli trees. Nearly two centuries ago, Maharajah Abhay Singh of Jodhpur required wood 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 came to know about it, they opposed the king's men. The feudal party told her that if she wanted the trees to be spared, she would have to give them money as a 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 Jodhpur, 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.

29 tenets

The 29 tenets of Bishnoism state:[7]

  1. Observe 30 days' state of untouchability after child's birth
  2. Observe 5 days' segregation while a woman is in her menses
  3. Bath early morning
  4. Obey the ideal rules of life: Modesty
  5. Obey the ideal rules of life: Patience or satisfactions
  6. Obey the ideal rules of life: Purifications
  7. Perform Sandhya two times a day
  8. Eulogise their God, Vishnu, in evening hours (Aarti)
  9. Perform Yajna (Havan) every morning
  10. Filter water, milk and firewood
  11. Speak pure words in all sincerity
  12. Adopt the rule of forgiveness and pity
  13. Don't steal and not keep any intention to do it also
  14. Do not condemn or criticize
  15. Don't lie
  16. Don't waste the time on argument
  17. Fast on Amavashya and offer prayers to Vishnu
  18. Have pity on all living beings and love them
  19. Do not cut green trees, save the environment
  20. Crush lust, anger, greed and attachment
  21. Cook own food by yourself
  22. Provide a common shelter for male goat/sheep to avoid them being slaughtered in abattoirs
  23. Don't sterilise bull
  24. Don't use opium
  25. Don't take smoke and use tobacco
  26. Don't take bhang or hemp
  27. Don't drink alcohol
  28. Don't eat meat, remain always pure vegetarian
  29. Never use blue clothes

References

  1. ↑ "The Desert Dwellers of Rajasthan – Bishnoi and Bhil people". 2004. Retrieved 19 Mar 2013.
  2. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 19 September 2014. Retrieved 2014-07-27.
  3. ↑ Jambhoji: Messiah of the Thar Desert,1998, author M.S.Chandla
  4. ↑ The Bishnois,(2001), ASIN: B004HQ08BE
  5. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 6 August 2014. Retrieved 2014-07-27.
  6. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 6 August 2014. Retrieved 2014-07-27.
  7. ↑ "List of 29 Principles". www.bishnoism.com. Retrieved 24 January 2014.

Further reading

External links

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