Jodhpur Tour with Bishnoi Village

THE BISHNOI : A rural tribal group, are a Hindu sect founded in the Punjab, who follow the teaching of Jambeshwar, a 15th-century sage & religious reformer who left a legacy of 29 (bis noi) tenets. The countryside around Jodhpur is home to many tidy Bishnoi villages & family compounds. These gentle communities of potters, weavers, leather embroiderers & camel herders have achieved world acclaim for their religious conservationist beliefs. They are vegetarians, follow the principles of non-violence, & above all, reverently protect all flora & fauna. They do not allow felling of trees or hunting on their lands. This area is home to the rare blackbuck antelope with remarkable spiral horns. (We saw quite a few of the graceful creatures.) They freely graze, fully aware, it seems, that no one here will harm them.
The history & customs of the Bishnoi are legendary. In fact, one infamous incident in 1730 involved the massacre of 363 Bishnois who sacrificed their lives to save their trees. They were felled indiscriminately by the raja’s troops along with the trees they were hugging to protect them. (I can't help but wonder if this is where the term "tree hugger" came from?)

THE BISHNOI & OPIUM : Although now illegal in India, & forbidden by the 29 tenets of the Bishnoi, the sect still uses it & have been given special consent from the Indian government to use opium for ‘religious’ purposes. Legally , they are only allowed to use empty poppy pods, after the opium has been extracted for medical manufacture. The pods are then ground, mixed with a sugar solution, then diluted further with water for the ceremony. So in truth, it seems there is hardly any opium in the mixture?
I vaguely remember being told that the Bishnoi were the original growers of the opium poppy, & maybe they still are? But I have not been able to verify this. But it would make sense since they have a long shared history with opium. There were, & perhaps there still are, certain traditional occasions where the sharing of opium tea is permitted & practiced by the Bishnoi. For example, opium tea was used as a welcome drink for guests who usually came from far away & had long, difficult journeys. The opium tea was meant to relax & refresh their bodies and minds to ensure their recovery from their arduous trip. Back then, the opium seed was ground, & mixed with water. Traditionally, it was/is slurped from the palm of the server.

Another traditional occasion for opium tea was/is when the younger members of the family served it to the elders of the family coming back from work in the fields. Then there’s also the opium sharing ceremony practiced whenever there is a gathering such as a marriage or a funeral, or a dispute to settle - somewhat akin to the American Red Indians smoking the peace pipe, except that the opium solution is slurped from the palm of the server.

Location : Jodhpur
Duration : Full Day : 6-8 hrs.
Bishnoi Village – Jeep tour from Jodhpur.

Itinerary : We will pick you from your hotel or place of your choice from Jodhpur city. Our guide will briefly describe the plan of safari and time table of whole day. Bishnouis View 1 Khejarli Massacre- (where 363 Bishnoi people sacrificed to protect the trees) - The first place to visit in our safari is Kahejarli Massacre, this place itself describe the Bishnois. This place is famous for its Kahejarli Massacre, this place itself describe the Bishnois. This place is famous for its great history, at this place thousands of Bishnois have given there life to protect tree.
Singhasni (Muslim religion Potter's Village) View Singhasni (Muslim religion Potter's village) - Famous for pottery, tourists can see people doing pottery, if you want you can also try pottery, our guide will completely demonstrate the way people here do pottery and will also help you in doing same.

Gudha village
Where you can spot wild life & visit to Bishnoi families Here you can watch wild animals in there natural habitats, many species of desert animals are found there some of them our Antelopes, Gazelle, Dumessille Crane, Rabbits, Blue Bulls, Migrated Birds, Peacocks etc
Alawas (Weavers village) View Salawas (Weavers village) - Salawas, a land magic carpets; a land where fantasy and reality joins forces to keep alive one of its most famous traditions: the durry (Rugs). The durry (Rugs), weather weaved out of cotton or wool, spreads colorful tradition and heritage from its primitive form of weaving in the villages of Rajasthan. Make your home a cozier place by adding to it the magical glamour of India, with the colorful folklore of the durry (Rugs). Here we will take you to famous Roop Raj Durry Udyog one of the best rugs manufacturer in this area in terms of quality and rates. Here you can buy or can see how these rugs are being manufactured.
Shepherds Village View Shepherds Village (where you can visit to families of shepherads people) - Real Indian village sight, perfect place for doing photography of village life, you can find people making sheo (Kambal). You can also see the UNICEF sponsored health center

Full Day Village Safari (package With Lunch) - Full Day Memorable Outing in Jeeps Visit Various Traditional Villages Seeing Local Handicrafts Viz Shoe Makers, Pottery Hand Weaving & Also Men In Their Traditional Attire, Women Clad With Ancestral Silver Jewellery, En-Route Watch & Photograph Wildlife Black Buck, Chinkaras, Peacock Etc. Freely Moving in Abundance Protected by "Bishnois" Protectors of Wildlife & Tree.

Cost Rs. 4500.00 /- nett for Jodhpur City & Bishnoi village

Pick up at 09:00 AM in morning from Hotel
Return back by around 6:00PM to 7.00PM & drop to Hotel
Half Day Village Safari (package Without Lunch) -

Itinerary :
Morning Tour
Pick up at 09:00 AM in morning from Hotel
Return back by around 1:00 PM & drop to Hotel

Afternoon Tour
Pick up at 02:00 PM in afternoon from Hotel
Return back by around 6:00 PM & drop to Hotel

Number of Pax : Minimum 1 person
Group sizes vary from 2-6 persons

Guide Service :
Optional on Request
English Speaking or language of your choice subject to availability