Last year, I was lucky enough to meet the warm and welcoming people from this community in a charming little Bishnoi village in rural Rajasthan. The experience was not only heart-warming but one of great learning as well. So, let me take you on this journey to explore the fascinating life and culture of the Bishnois of Rajasthan.
Only around an hour's journey from the Blue city of Jodhpur is Chandelao, a quaint village surrounded by wild grasslands and scrublands where the elegant blackbucks, chinkaras, and nilgais roam free. Here, there are also massive seasonal lakes that attract thousands of migratory birds, including the graceful demoiselle cranes, making it a birdwatcher's paradise. However, there is more to Chandelao than its spectacular wildlife. The village here hosts people from various communities, including the Bishnoi people, who are believers in Bishnoism, a faith guided by love and compassion, born over 500 years ago.
In Chandelao, I stayed at a heritage homestay, the ancestral home of the area's landlords (a day trip from Jodhpur is also possible, but a more extended stay is advisable to truly experience the pulse of the place). Following two days full of jeep safaris scanning the wild landscapes and lakes around Chandelao, capturing the area's bountiful wildlife in my camera, I set out to meet the Bishnois in the village on the third day.
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