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Pankaj Bishnoi is a resident of Khetolai, a village in Jaisalmer’s Pokhran tehsil, which lies close to the international border and is best known for India’s twin successful nuclear tests conducted in 1974 and in 1998.
Here, the orans, or the sacred groves, are dedicated to Guru Jambheshwar, a spiritual leader revered by the Bishnoi community as its founder.
Pankaj Bishnoi, who grew up in this arid landscape, tells The Quint that in the desert, the existence and survival of communities depend on these deified biodiverse woodlands. “Every village typically has an oran characterised by high biodiversity, especially the unique khejri trees that can even survive in drought. The size of orans varies from 10,000 bighas (2,500 hectares) to 60,000 bighas (15,000 hectares). The oran in Khetolai covers 5,000 bighas (1,266 hectares),” Bishnoi says.
“Wildlife, and even our cattle, depend on them,” he adds.
For centuries, life went on as usual in this harsh yet unique landscape. Today, however, the rapid expansion of renewable energy projects, locals like Bishnoi allege, is endangering the survival of their sacred orans.