Gogaji
Encyclopedia
Gogaji also known as Jahar Veer Gogga is a folk
deity
of Rajasthan
state in India
. He is an eminent warrior-hero of the region. He is also venerated as a saint and even as 'snake-god'.
community in Gujarat and Rajasthan is great believer in Gogaji. The devotees of Gogaji can be found in Uttar Pradesh
, Punjab
, Madhya Pradesh
, Haryana
. In Haryana in kaithal, kurukshtra, ambala,and every village where rajput living very devotional to goga ji chauhan
Maharashtra
and Himachal Pradesh
. In Gujarat, an annual procession is taken out in honor of the great warrior.
Many Bachal Rajputs
are said to get the name from queen Bachal, who was mother of famous folk-deity Jaharveer Gogaji. Gogaji according to legend was son of a Chauhan
Rajput Ruler named Vacha or Juar, whose wife Bachal was from Tuar clan. Gogaji was born upon blessings given to Queen Bachal by Guru Gorakhnathji.
Population of Bachal Rajputs, who worship him as Kuldevta
can be found distributed among the States of Rajasthan
, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh
, etc.
, which is 359 km from Jaipur
, in Hanumangarh
district of Rajasthan in August in memory of Gogaji. It is believed that Gogaji went into samādhi
at Gogamedi. Thousands of devotees gather to pay homage at this memorial annually in the month of Bhadrapada during the Gogaji fair
, which lasts for 3 days. The fair is held from the ninth day of the dark half of Bhadrapada (Goga Navami) to the eleventh day of the dark half of the same month. The inscription in Persian
at the main entrance describes Mahmud of Ghazni
's regard for Gogaji. It is quite a sight to see people singing and dancing to the beats of drums and gongs with multicolored flags called nishans in their hands.
the songs and bhajan
s on the life history of Gogaji and along with play the music with traditional instruments like Damru, Chimta
, etc.
in Churu
district in Rajasthan
. Early days of Gogaji were spent at village Dadrewa
, situated on Hissar
-Bikaner Highway in the Churu district
. He was born in Chauhan
clan to Chauhan Vacha and queen Bahcal and were rulers of this area during that period - around 900 AD. A fair is simultaneously held here too in his memory. His desandants adopted the name Bachal Rajput after name of Gogaji's mother.
Gogaji was born by the blessing of Guru gorkhnath ji. Gogaji's mother, Rani Bachal worshipped her guru Gorkhnath for 12 years to receive a boon of a child. Gogaji's wife was Siriyal and his father was Raja Jewar Singh of Bhagar Desh.
There is another popular story behind the 12-year worship of the mother of Jahar Peer (Bachal).
While Rani Bachal was worshiping Guru Gorakhnath, she had a twin-sister Rani Kachal who decided to usurp the blessings from Guru Gorakhnath. In the middle of night, she wore the clothes of her sister and deceived the Guru into giving her the blessing fruit. When Rani Bachal came to know about it, she rushed to Guru Gorakhnath and said that she had not received anything. To this, Guruji replied that he had already given his blessings and said that her sister was trying to deceive her. After much persistence from Rani Bachal, the Guru relented and gave her two Gugal candies (Gugal is a herb which is prescribed even till today under Ayurveda
to treat people of infertility), and hence the name Gogaji. She distributed these candies to the ladies having no child, including the 'Blue mare' who was pregnant at that time. The horse borne to the mare the 'Blue Horse' that Gogaji rode.
When Guru Gorkhnath gave the blessing to Rani Bachal, he foretold that her son would become very powerful and would also rule over both the sons of Rani Kachal. Gogaji had the company of his blue horse, Nar Singh Peer and Bohriwala. He finally killed both the sons of Rani Kachal and informed his mother. Gogaji's mother on hearing this became very angry and decided not even to see her son's face ever. However, every evening Gogaji met his wife in hiding. One day Rani Bachal came to know about it and thought of apologizing for her mistake. Being previously ordered by his mother of not ever showing his face to her, Gogaji sought for help from Guru Gorkhnath. Guruji with his Chimta (holy tongs) from Gorkhtilla slid the land causing Gogaji and his horse to take samadhi.
In the books bijal ke chauhan written by Ratanlal Mishra there is a story of Chauhan
and chakravati's in which there is a story of gogaji and his life such as of fight with mughals history of chamanas,chauhan on himalaya,worship of bramha vishnu mahesh etc.and related with storys of gogaji and chauhan vansh.
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
deity
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
of Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
state in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He is an eminent warrior-hero of the region. He is also venerated as a saint and even as 'snake-god'.
Introduction
He is known as Goga among the Hindus. Gogaji is popular as a snake-god and almost every village in Rajasthan has a Than (sacred place) dedicated to him.RabariRabari
Members of the Rabari or Rewari live throughout the Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Harayana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh states in India...
community in Gujarat and Rajasthan is great believer in Gogaji. The devotees of Gogaji can be found in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
, Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
, Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
. In Haryana in kaithal, kurukshtra, ambala,and every village where rajput living very devotional to goga ji chauhan
Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
and Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
. In Gujarat, an annual procession is taken out in honor of the great warrior.
Many Bachal Rajputs
Bachhal
Bachal are a clan of Rajput group in India. Further, in Pakistan & Afghanistan, Bachal or Bachhal are part of converted Muslim Rajput group...
are said to get the name from queen Bachal, who was mother of famous folk-deity Jaharveer Gogaji. Gogaji according to legend was son of a Chauhan
Chauhan
Chauhan, Chouhan or Chohan , , - is a clan who ruled parts of northern India in the Middle Ages. The clan is most famous for Rajput King Maharaja Prithviraj Chauhan...
Rajput Ruler named Vacha or Juar, whose wife Bachal was from Tuar clan. Gogaji was born upon blessings given to Queen Bachal by Guru Gorakhnathji.
Population of Bachal Rajputs, who worship him as Kuldevta
Kuldevta
Kuladevata or Kuladevi, also known as Kuladev and Kŭladaiwat, stands for "family deity, that is either a god or a goddess" within Hinduism, as distinct from personal ishta-devata and village deities...
can be found distributed among the States of Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
, etc.
Location and Fair
A grand fair is held at GogamediGogamedi
Gogamedi is a place of religious importance in hanumangarh district of Rajasthan , 359 km from Jaipur.A grand fair is held at Gogamedi in August in memory of Gogaji . The fair is held from the ninth day of the dark half of Bhadrapada to the eleventh day of the dark half of the same month...
, which is 359 km from Jaipur
Jaipur
Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
, in Hanumangarh
Hanumangarh
Hanumangarh is a city in northern Rajasthan state in western India, situated on the banks of the river Ghaggar, located about 400 km from Delhi. It is the administrative seat of Hanumangarh District...
district of Rajasthan in August in memory of Gogaji. It is believed that Gogaji went into samādhi
Samadhi
Samadhi in Hinduism, Buddhism,Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools is a higher level of concentrated meditation, or dhyāna. In the yoga tradition, it is the eighth and final limb identified in the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali....
at Gogamedi. Thousands of devotees gather to pay homage at this memorial annually in the month of Bhadrapada during the Gogaji fair
Fair
A fair or fayre is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair entertainment. It is normally of the essence of a fair that it is temporary; some last only an afternoon while others may ten weeks. ...
, which lasts for 3 days. The fair is held from the ninth day of the dark half of Bhadrapada (Goga Navami) to the eleventh day of the dark half of the same month. The inscription in Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
at the main entrance describes Mahmud of Ghazni
Mahmud of Ghazni
Mahmud of Ghazni , actually ', was the most prominent ruler of the Ghaznavid dynasty who ruled from 997 until his death in 1030 in the eastern Iranian lands. Mahmud turned the former provincial city of Ghazni into the wealthy capital of an extensive empire which covered most of today's Iran,...
's regard for Gogaji. It is quite a sight to see people singing and dancing to the beats of drums and gongs with multicolored flags called nishans in their hands.
the songs and bhajan
Bhajan
A Bhajan is any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form: it may be as simple as a mantra or kirtan or as sophisticated as the dhrupad or kriti with music based on classical ragas and talas. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine...
s on the life history of Gogaji and along with play the music with traditional instruments like Damru, Chimta
Chimta
A Chimta literally means tongs. Over time it has evolved into a traditional percussion instrument of South Asia by the permanent addition of small brass jingles...
, etc.
Life History
Goga ji was born in DadrewaDadrewa
Dadrewa is a village situated in Churu district of Rajasthan, India. The village is situated on the Hissar-Bikaner Highway in between Sadulpur and Taranagar. It was the ancient capital of Chauhan Rulers. The famous Gogaji Pir, was also born at Dadrewa. This was also ruled by Punias and Kaimkhanis....
in Churu
Churu
Churu is a town in the desert region of Rajasthan state of India. It is the administrative headquarters of Churu District. It lies in the Thar Desert on the National Highway-65 connecting Pali to Ambala and is a junction station on the railway line to Bikaner...
district in Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
. Early days of Gogaji were spent at village Dadrewa
Dadrewa
Dadrewa is a village situated in Churu district of Rajasthan, India. The village is situated on the Hissar-Bikaner Highway in between Sadulpur and Taranagar. It was the ancient capital of Chauhan Rulers. The famous Gogaji Pir, was also born at Dadrewa. This was also ruled by Punias and Kaimkhanis....
, situated on Hissar
Hisar, India
Hisar city, previously spelled Hissar, is the administrative headquarters of Hisar district, in the state of Haryana, in northwestern India. Hisar was founded in 1354 CE, as Hissar-e-Firoza by Firoz Shah Tughlaq, who reigned over the Sultanate of Delhi from 1351 to 1388. on the demolished ruins...
-Bikaner Highway in the Churu district
Churu district
Churu is a district of Rajasthan state of western India. The town of Churu is the administrative headquarters of the district.Churu lies in the Jangladesh region of northern Rajasthan...
. He was born in Chauhan
Chauhan
Chauhan, Chouhan or Chohan , , - is a clan who ruled parts of northern India in the Middle Ages. The clan is most famous for Rajput King Maharaja Prithviraj Chauhan...
clan to Chauhan Vacha and queen Bahcal and were rulers of this area during that period - around 900 AD. A fair is simultaneously held here too in his memory. His desandants adopted the name Bachal Rajput after name of Gogaji's mother.
Gogaji was born by the blessing of Guru gorkhnath ji. Gogaji's mother, Rani Bachal worshipped her guru Gorkhnath for 12 years to receive a boon of a child. Gogaji's wife was Siriyal and his father was Raja Jewar Singh of Bhagar Desh.
There is another popular story behind the 12-year worship of the mother of Jahar Peer (Bachal).
While Rani Bachal was worshiping Guru Gorakhnath, she had a twin-sister Rani Kachal who decided to usurp the blessings from Guru Gorakhnath. In the middle of night, she wore the clothes of her sister and deceived the Guru into giving her the blessing fruit. When Rani Bachal came to know about it, she rushed to Guru Gorakhnath and said that she had not received anything. To this, Guruji replied that he had already given his blessings and said that her sister was trying to deceive her. After much persistence from Rani Bachal, the Guru relented and gave her two Gugal candies (Gugal is a herb which is prescribed even till today under Ayurveda
Ayurveda
Ayurveda or ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to India and a form of alternative medicine. In Sanskrit, words , meaning "longevity", and , meaning "knowledge" or "science". The earliest literature on Indian medical practice appeared during the Vedic period in India,...
to treat people of infertility), and hence the name Gogaji. She distributed these candies to the ladies having no child, including the 'Blue mare' who was pregnant at that time. The horse borne to the mare the 'Blue Horse' that Gogaji rode.
When Guru Gorkhnath gave the blessing to Rani Bachal, he foretold that her son would become very powerful and would also rule over both the sons of Rani Kachal. Gogaji had the company of his blue horse, Nar Singh Peer and Bohriwala. He finally killed both the sons of Rani Kachal and informed his mother. Gogaji's mother on hearing this became very angry and decided not even to see her son's face ever. However, every evening Gogaji met his wife in hiding. One day Rani Bachal came to know about it and thought of apologizing for her mistake. Being previously ordered by his mother of not ever showing his face to her, Gogaji sought for help from Guru Gorkhnath. Guruji with his Chimta (holy tongs) from Gorkhtilla slid the land causing Gogaji and his horse to take samadhi.
In the books bijal ke chauhan written by Ratanlal Mishra there is a story of Chauhan
Chauhan
Chauhan, Chouhan or Chohan , , - is a clan who ruled parts of northern India in the Middle Ages. The clan is most famous for Rajput King Maharaja Prithviraj Chauhan...
and chakravati's in which there is a story of gogaji and his life such as of fight with mughals history of chamanas,chauhan on himalaya,worship of bramha vishnu mahesh etc.and related with storys of gogaji and chauhan vansh.