Amrita Devi

Amrita Devi
Born
Khejarli, Jodhpur district, Rajasthan, India
Died1730
Khejarli, Jodhpur district, Rajasthan, India
NationalityIndian
Occupation(s)Environmentalist, Martyr
Known forKhejarli massacre, Environmental conservation
ChildrenAsu, Ratni, Bhagu (daughters)
AwardsAmrita Devi Bishnoi National Award(posthumously named after her)

Amrita Devi Beniwal[1][2] was an environmentalist and martyr from the Bishnoi community of Khejarli, Jodhpur district, Rajasthan, India. She is known for her role in the conservation of the Khejri trees (Prosopis cineraria), which are considered sacred by the Bishnoi community. She was killed, along with her three daughters, in the Khejarli massacre, after protesting the felling of trees by Maharaja Abhay Singh of Marwar.[3][4][5]

In 1730, the then Maharaja of Jodhpur, Abhay Singh, ordered the felling of Khejri trees to burn lime for the construction of his new palace. Amrita Devi opposed the cutting of the trees, which were vital to the Bishnoi faith. She famously stated that she would give away her life to save the trees. According to legend, Devi put her arms around the trunk of a tree to prevent it from being felled; in response, the king's men decapitated her.[6] In the subsequent Khejarli massacre, Devi's three daughters, Asu, Ratni and Bhagu, and 363 other Bishnois were killed while protecting the trees.[3][7][8]

  1. ^ "Remembering Amrita's sacrifice". The Tribune. Retrieved 24 July 2024. “ During the function, rich tributes were paid to Amrita Devi Beniwal, who sacrificed her life, along with her daughters Asu, Ratni and Bhagu, in 1730 to save trees from being felled by the Maharaja of Jodhpur in Marwar, Rajasthan.”
  2. ^ "Amrita Devi". Jat Chiefs. Retrieved 2024-07-24. “ Amrita Devi was a Beniwal Bishnoi jat sacrificed her life along with her three daughters viz. Asu, Ratni and Bhagu in year 1730.”
  3. ^ a b "Remembering Amrita's sacrifice". The Tribune. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  4. ^ Sahapedia (2020-09-10). "When Amrita Devi and 362 Bishnois sacrificed their lives for the Khejri tree". Feminism in India. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  5. ^ "कौन थीं अमृता देवी? जिनके नाम पर होगा राजस्थान जीव-जन्तु कल्याण बोर्ड,सीएम गहलोत ने लगाई मुहर".
  6. ^ AFP. "India's Bishnoi community: The original eco-warriors". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  7. ^ "'On Environment Day, recognise Bishnois for saving trees'". Business Standard. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  8. ^ "The Bishnois, India's original environmentalists, who inspired the Chipko movement". Ecologise. 2017-05-28. Retrieved 2024-04-02.