Once upon a time, the king of Jodhpur required wood for the construction of his palace. So, he ordered his men to cut the khejari trees. The people belonging to the Bishnoi community living there protested against it. As they started cutting the trees, Amrita Devi Bishnoi embraced the khejari trees and said – “first you cut me, then only you will be able to cut these trees”. Similarly, other villagers also supported her and did the same.
The king’s soldiers cut the khejari trees along with the villagers. Total 363 people including Amrita Devi Bishnoi sacrificed their lives to save the khejari trees. In history, there is no other incidence like this, where people sacrificed their lives to save the trees.
