Gogaji

Gogaji (गोगाजी) also known as Gugga is a folk deity of Rajasthan state in India. He is an eminent warrior-hero of the region. Hindus and Muslims alike honor him. He is also venerated as a saint and even as 'snake-god'. He is known as Goga among the Hindus and Jahar Peer among the Muslims. The Kaimkhani Muslims claim descent from him and regard him as a peer (saint). Gogaji is popular as a snake-god and almost every village in Rajasthan has a Than (sacred place) dedicated to him. The devotees of Gogaji can be found in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. In Gujarat, an annual procession is taken out in honour of the great warrior.

A grand fair is held at Gogamedi, which is 359 km from Jaipur, in Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan in August in memory of Gogaji. It is believed that Gogaji went into samadhi 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.

Early days of Gogaji were spent at village Dadrewa, situated on Hissar-Bikaner Highway in the Churu district. He was a Chauhan Rajput and were rulers of this area during that period - around 900 AD. A fair is simultaneously held here too in his memory.

Gogaji was born by the blessing of Guru gorkhnath ji.The mother of Gogaji, Bachal worship her guru Gorkhnath for 12 years for a child. The Gogaji's wife name was Siriyal.

ee also

*List of Rajputs