Bishnoi Community Environment Wildlife Protection Rajasthan

The Bishnoi community of western Rajasthan, concentrated in Jodhpur and Bikaner districts, follows 29 principles (bish-noi = twenty-nine) established by Guru Jambhoji in 1485 CE that include strict prohibition on killing animals or cutting live trees. Bishnoi farmers share their fields with chinkaras (Indian gazelle), blackbucks, and peacocks. In 1730, 363 Bishnoi gave their lives to protect khejri trees from royal wood cutters in the Chipko ancestor act known as the Khejarli massacre. Bishnoi conservation tradition predates modern environmentalism by 500 years. Today Bishnoi communities rescue injured wildlife, report poaching, and maintain village ecology as cooperative wildlife guardians. The Bishnoi Wildlife Conservation Trust coordinates with forest departments and receives national recognition for conservation outcomes.