| Veer Teja Ji | |
|---|---|
 Veer Tejaji riding his Leelan | |
| Affiliation | Avatar of Shiva |
| Weapon | Spear |
| Animals | Leelan (mare) |
| Gender | Male |
| Festivals | Teja Dashmi |
| Genealogy | |
| Born | 29 January 1074 |
| Died | 28 August 1103 |
| Parents | Tahar Dev (father) Ram Kunwari (mother) |
| Siblings | Rajal (sister) |
| Spouse | Pemal |
Veer Tejaji Jat (29 January 1074 - 28 August 1103)[1] also known as Tejaji Maharaj, or simply Tejaji, was a great warrior, social reformer and folk-deity of Rajasthan. In rural parts of northern Rajasthan, he is revered as a deity and is considered to be one of Lord Shiva's eleven primary incarnations.[2][3] He is mainly worshipped in the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat.[4] He is commonly known as the God of Snakes in Rajasthan, because it protect against snake bites or also worshipped as Dhauliya Veer.[5][6]
- ^ Gupta, Dr Seema. "Veer Tejaji - The Symbol of Folk Faith". Central Asian Journal of Literature, Philosophy and Culture. 01: 42. “ As per historians, he was born on Friday, Magha Shukla 14 samvat 1130 (29 January 1074).
- ^ Murphy, Anne (2003). "TĒJAJI". In Mills, Margaret A.; Diamond, Sarah; Claus, Peter J. (eds.). South Asian Folklore: An Encyclopedia. Routledge. p. 596. ISBN 978-0-415-93919-5.
Tējaji was a Jāt of Karnala near Nagaur, in Marwar
- ^ ANI (16 September 2016). "Rajasthan celebrates unique snake festival to bring good fortune". India.com. Retrieved 16 October 2018. “ Teja is considered to be one of the eleven incarnations of Lord Shiva and worshipped as a deity in rural Rajasthan. Devotees sang and danced to the sounds of drums and instruments, holding snakes in their hands and receiving their bites. It is believed that the snake bites cures ailments and bring good fortune.”
- ^ अजमेर, सुमित सारस्वत (4 September 2022). "सांप को दिया वचन निभाया, अब लोक देवता के रूप में होती है इस गौ रक्षक की पूजा". ABP News (in Hindi). Retrieved 5 August 2024. “ वीर तेजाजी को भगवान शिव का ग्यारहवां अवतार माना जाता है. राजस्थान, मध्यप्रदेश, गुजरात, उत्तर प्रदेश, हरियाणा और अन्य राज्यों में इन्हें लोक देवता के रूप में पूजा जाता है.”
- ^ "Nagaur News: वीर तेजाजी ने एक वचन के लिए दे दिए थे प्राण, सांपों वाले देवता के रूप में पहचान". News18 हिंदी (in Hindi). 22 February 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
- ^ "In India, getting bitten by a snake seen as good luck". Reuters Original. Retrieved 16 October 2018. “ Veer Teja or Tejaji was a legendary Rajasthani folk hero, also considered to be one of the major eleven incarnations of Lord Shiva and worshipped as a deity in rural Rajasthan.”