Jekyll Nisarg is a responsive Jekyll theme ported from the WordPress Nisarg theme by Falguni Desai, built on Bootstrap 3 and SCSS to create blogs and creative websites.
What is Jekyll Nisarg?
Jekyll Nisarg is a Jekyll theme that converts Markdown content into a static website with a clean, responsive design. It is based on the WordPress Nisarg theme, which was developed by Falguni Desai and is distributed under the GNU General Public License. The Jekyll port carries over the core layout—a two-column design with a right sidebar and a Bootstrap 3 foundation—so Jekyll users get a similar look and feel without needing WordPress. The theme is built with SCSS for styling and is hosted on GitHub, with a Microsoft Azure DevOps build status badge indicating active integration.
Key Features
- Bootstrap 3 foundation — the theme's responsive grid and components are powered by Bootstrap 3, making it mobile- and tablet-friendly.
- Two-column with right sidebar — posts appear in the main column with a sidebar for widgets or links.
- Creative blog focus — designed for travel, photography, recipe, design, art, and personal blogs, with support for featured images and sticky posts.
- Post format support — the original WordPress theme supports eight post formats (Video, Image, Aside, Status, Audio, Quote, Link, Gallery); the Jekyll port is built to accommodate similar content types via Jekyll's front matter and layouts.
- Accent color customization — the WordPress theme's Customizer offers seven accent colors plus a color picker; the Jekyll version uses SCSS variables to achieve similar color control.
- Translation-ready — the WordPress theme includes text domain and RTL language support, and the port is structured to allow localization in Jekyll.
- Lightweight assets — uses Font Awesome icons and Google Fonts (Lato and Source Sans Pro) like the original theme.
Note: Some features are described based on the WordPress source; the Jekyll port may implement them differently.
Who is it for?
- Travel bloggers — publish photo-heavy posts with the responsive layout and featured images.
- Photographers — use the portfolio-style layout and gallery post format to showcase work.
- Recipe creators — rely on the clean typography and image support for step-by-step recipes.
- Personal bloggers — create a simple, attractive personal site with customizable accent colors and a sidebar.
What can you do with Jekyll Nisarg?
- Set up a personal blog — clone the theme, add Markdown posts, and build a static site with Jekyll.
- Create a sticky front page — use sticky-post support to highlight important content.
- Display multiple post formats — publish quotes, links, audio, video, and gallery posts to vary content presentation.
- Customize colors — adjust SCSS variables to change the theme accent color to one of seven suggested options or any custom color.
FAQ
Is Jekyll Nisarg free?
Yes, the WordPress Nisarg theme is licensed under the GNU General Public License v2 or later, and the Jekyll port inherits that open-source license, so you can use and modify it freely.
Does Jekyll Nisarg use Bootstrap?
Yes, the theme is based on Bootstrap 3, which provides the responsive grid and UI components. The styling is further customized using SCSS.
What are the main differences from the WordPress version?
The Jekyll version runs on Jekyll's static-site generation, meaning there is no WordPress admin or Customizer; instead, site configuration is handled through Jekyll's configuration files and front matter. The design and layout are derived from the WordPress theme.
Can I use Jekyll Nisarg for a non-blog website?
The theme is designed with a blog layout and single-column content area with a sidebar, but it can be adapted for other types of static sites, such as portfolios or project pages.
