Veer Teja

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Veer Teja or Tejaji is a Rajasthani folk deity. He is considered one of the major eleven incarnations of Shiva and worshipped as a deity in whole (Rural & Urban) Rajasthan.[1][2]

Veer Teja
Hindu
Tejaji.jpg
Tejaji riding a horse
AffiliationDeva, Avatar of Shiva
Personal information
Born1074
Kharnal, Nagaur (Rajasthan, India)
Died1103
Parents
  • Tahar Dev (father)
  • Ramkunwari (mother)

Veer Teja was born around 1074 in Khadnal, Rajasthan, India. His parents, Ramkunwari and Tahar, were Jat.[3][4][5][6][7]

Legend has it that Teja died in 1103. The story says that he died because of snake bite, he allowed a snake to bite his tongue, that being the only unwounded area of his body. In return, the snake promised that no person or animal would die from a snakebite if they sought the blessings of Teja.[7]

People in Rajasthan particularly call upon this promise on Shukla tenth of the month of Bhadrapada, a day that is set aside for marking his death.[7]

Anthropologists say the Tejaji following sect is protagonist that includes an element of protest against the caste system.[8]

Tejaji Temple at Palot Village
Tejaji Temple at Palot Village

See also[]

  • Tejaji Temple at Kharnal - place where Tejaji was born
  • Tejaji temple at Paner - place where Tejaji was married
  • Shree Veer Tejaji samadhi sthala Temple, Sursura - place where Tejaji attained Nirvana

Commemoration[]

In September 2011, India Post released a commemorative stamp depicting Tejaji.[9]

A Rajasthani language movie titled Veer Tejaji, based on the life of Tejaji was made in the 1980s.

References[]

  1. ^ Reuters Editorial. "In India, getting bitten by a snake seen as good luck". U.S. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  2. ^ ANI (16 September 2016). "Rajasthan celebrates unique snake festival to bring good fortune". India.com. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  3. ^ Jain, Pratibha; Śarmā, Saṅgītā (2004). Honour, Status & Polity. Rawat Publications. p. 336. ISBN 978-8-170-33859-8. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  4. ^ Aryan, Subhashini (1994). Folk Bronzes of Rajasthan. Lalit Kala Akademi. p. 80. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  5. ^ (Agency), Rajputana (1879). The Rajputana Gazetteer, Volume 2. Office of the Superintendent of Government Print. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  6. ^ (India), Rajasthan (1970). Rajasthan [district Gazetteers].: Tonk. Printed at Government Central Press. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  7. ^ a b c Hooja, Rima (2006). A History of Rajasthan. Rupa Publications. p. 428. ISBN 978-8129108906. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  8. ^ Dhali, Rajshree Popular Religion in Rajasthan: A Study of Four Deities and Their Worship in Nineteenth and Twentieth Century, 2014, p. 229
  9. ^ Rajasthan Voice: Thursday, September 8, 2011, Special postage stamp released on Folk deity Veer Teja

Further reading[]

  • Madan Meena: Tejaji Gatha (Hadoti & Hindi), Kota Heritage Society, Kota, 2012 ISBN 978-81-8465-686-2 (Published under the World Oral Literature Project, University of Cambridge, UK)
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