A defining feature of Shekhawati's arid landscape and of the whole Thar Desert region, is the khejri tree ( Prosopis cinerasia ), whose dark knobbly branches and small, olive-green leaves dot the dunes and scrubby sand flats from here all the way to Sind. Possessing exceptionally deep roots, it is among the few plants that can survive in this drought-prone area, and is an essential resource for north and western Rajasthan's subsistence farmers, who use its rock-hard wood for ploughs and its leaves as precious fodder for goats and camels. During November and early December, the desert is filled with villagers pruning trees and binding bundles of freshly cut khejri to cart home. Fruit from the tree is gathered and eaten raw ( khoka ), or cooked as a curry vegetable ( sangri ) to be relished with rotis , while the sap ( rayee ), which is believed to be good for arthritis and aching joints, is used to sweeten tea in the winter.

 

The key role played by khejri in the desert peasants' economy explains why the tree is revered as a religious object by the infamous Bishnoi tribe of Jodhpur district. Their beliefs came to the political forefront in 1730, when the Maharaja of Jodhpur ordered his men to collect wood for a new palace. Despite the pleas of the Bishnois, felling commenced in the small village of Khejadali, near Jodhpur. In a desperate bid to halt the axe-men, Amritdevi, a Bishnoi woman, hugged a khejri tree, but the fellers, assuming that the maharaja's request was to be respected, ignored her plea. She and 362 of her fellow people lost their lives trying to protect the forests. On hearing the news the maharaja recalled his men and accorded state sanction to the Bishnoi religion, a turning point in history remembered each September when thousands attend a festival at Khejadali. At this time, red threads associated with the goddess Lakshmi, whom the khejri is believed to incarnate in the same way as the peepal embodies Vishnu, are tied to trees as petitions for the long life of husbands.

The Bishnois' khejri festival has become somewhat controversial in recent years, amid allegations that it has been hijacked by the Congress (I) party to whip up anti-feudal feeling, and thus votes, among the notoriously rebellious tribals.