Jasma Odan is a folk deity from medieval

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

about a woman who committed '' sati'' to protect her honor after her husband was murdered by Siddharaj Jaisinh, a king of

Chaulukya dynasty The Chaulukya dynasty (), also Solanki dynasty, was a dynasty that ruled parts of what are now Gujarat and Rajasthan in north-western India, between and . Their capital was located at Anahilavada (modern Patan). At times, their rule extended ...

Legend

Jasma was a wife of Rooda who was a pond digger. They belonged to the Odh rajput tribe, a drifting tribe of laborers in

Kathiawar Kathiawar (), also known as Saurashtra, is a peninsula in the south-western Gujarat state in India, bordering the Arabian Sea and covering about . It is bounded by the Kutch district in the north, the Gulf of Kutch in the northwest, and by the ...

, and some parts of

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...

. They were at

Anhilwad Patan Patan () is the administrative seat of Patan district in the Indian state of Gujarat and is an administered municipality. It was the capital of Gujarat's Chavda and Chaulukya dynasties in medieval times and is also known as Anhilpur-Patan t ...

to dig Sahastralinga Tank, a lake and thousand shrines with

lingam A lingam ( , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or Aniconism, aniconic representation of the Hinduism, Hindu Hindu deities, god Shiva in Shaivism. The word ''lingam'' is found in the Up ...

. Siddharaj Jaisinh, a king of

, was captivated by the beauty of Jasma and proposed marriage. He offered to make her queen of Gujarat but she refused. Jaisinh killed her husband. She committed '' sati'', by jumping into the

pyre A pyre (; ), also known as a funeral pyre, is a structure, usually made of wood, for burning a body as part of a funeral rite or execution. As a form of cremation, a body is placed upon or under the pyre, which is then set on fire. In discussi ...

, to protect her honor. Her curse made the tank of Sahasralinga waterless and Siddharaj without an heir to his kingdom of Gujarat. The Jasmadevi temple dedicated to her, constructed by the Odh rajput tribe in the 12th century, is situated near Sahasralinga Tank at

Patan, Gujarat Patan () is the administrative seat of Patan district in the Indian state of Gujarat and is an administered municipality. It was the capital of Gujarat's Chavda dynasty, Chavda and Chaulukya dynasties in medieval times and is also known as An ...

Popular culture

Bhavai Bhavai, also known as ''Vesha'' or ''Swang'', is a popular folk theatre form of western India, especially in Gujarat. Etymology ''Bhavai'' may derive from the Sanskrit word ''Bhava'', meaning expression or emotion. It is also associated wit ...

''vesha'', a folk theatre form based on legend, has been performed since the nineteenth century. It was recreated for a stage performance titled ''Jasma Odan'' by

Shanta Gandhi Shanta Kalidas Gandhi (20 December 1917 – 6 May 2002) was an Indian theatre director, dancer and playwright who was closely associated with IPTA, the cultural wing of the Communist Party of India. She studied with Indira Gandhi at a resident ...

in 1982. The 1926 Indian silent film ''Sati Jasma'' about the folk deity was created by

Homi Master Homi Master (?–1949) was an actor-director of early Indian cinema. His work extended from the silent era to the talkie era and up to his death. He produced his best films for Kohinoor Film Company and he has been referred to as "silent cinema ...

. It starred

Gohar Mamajiwala Gohar Khayyam Mamajiwala (19 November 1910 – 28 September 1985), also known as Miss Gohar, was an Indian singer, actress, producer and studio co-owner of Ranjit Studios. Early life Gohar was born on 19 November 1910 into a Dawoodi Bohra famil ...

and Khalil in the lead roles. A Gujarati film titled ''Sati Jasma Odan'' was directed by Chandrakant Sanghani in 1976. The songs of the film were penned by Kanti Ashok and music was composed by Mahesh Naresh.

References

{{Reflist Shakti temples Hindu folk deities Indian folklore

Legend

Popular culture

See also

References