Rana Jashraj was elevated to the name Veer Dada Jashraj and he was worshiped as
kuladevata
A ''kuladevata'' (), also known as a ''kuladaivaṃ'' (), is an ancestral tutelary deity in Hinduism and Jainism.
Such a deity is often the object of one's devotion (''bhakti''), and is coaxed to watch over one's clan (''kula''), gotra, family, ...
by the
Lohana
Lohana are a Hindu ''jāti, caste'', a trading or mercantile community mostly residing in India and some also in Pakistan.
The Lohanas are divided into many separate cultural groups as a result of centuries apart in different regions. Thus th ...
caste.
In memory of Jashraj, ''
Vasant Panchami
Vasant Panchami , also rendered Vasanta Panchami and Saraswati Puja in honour of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, is a festival that marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. The festival is celebrated in Indian religions in different ways ...
'' (the fifth day of the spring season as per the
Hindu calendar
The Hindu calendar, also called Panchangam, Panchanga (), is one of various lunisolar calendars that are traditionally used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, with further regional variations for social and Hindu religious purposes ...
) is celebrated as a ''balidaani diwas'' (martyr day) of Veer Dada Jashraj.
Veer Dada Jashraj is a deity worshiped by Lohana,
Bhanushali
Bhanushali is a Suryavanshi Kshtriya Hindu community. The majority reside in Kutch district of the Indian state of Gujarat. Some are also found in the Saurashtra region and other parts of Gujarat. Some have also moved to Thane and Mumbai region ...
,
Khatri
Khatri () is a caste system in India, caste originating from the Malwa (Punjab), Malwa and Majha areas of Punjab region of South Asia that is predominantly found in India, but also in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Khatris claim they are war ...
, and
Saraswat Brahmin
Saraswat Brahmins are spread over widely separated regions spanning from Kashmir and Punjab in North India to Konkan in West India to Kanara (coastal region of Karnataka) and Kerala in South India. In places such as western and southern India, ...
community of
Punjab
Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
,
Sindh
Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...
,
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 ...
of the Indian subcontinent.
As per their folk tales, Jashraj, who lived around between 1205 and 1231, was at his wedding mandap when he learned that enemies were stealing cattle, the holy animal worshipped by Hindus. He left his fears and confronted his enemies to save the cattle. He was assisted in war by his sister Harkor. Although, the enemy from Kabul was eventually defeated, and Jashraj became victorious, he was killed as a result of an enemy stratagem. He has ever since been worshiped by Lohanas and Bhanushalis as Veer Dada Jashraj and his sister
Harkor
Harkor is the Kuldevi of the Lohana clan. She is worshiped by Lohanas along with her brother Rana Jashraj.
As per their folk tales, Jashraj, who lived around between 1205 and 1231 near Lohar-gadha (present-day Lahore), was at his wedding mandapa ...
is worshiped as kuladevi by the Lohana clan.
However, Lohanas today consider Dada Jasraj as their folk deity or kuladevata and there is a custom of giving offerings such as dates and jaggery to the idol of Dada Jasraj, who is shown riding a horse. Newlywed brides offer these to Dada Jasraj wearing colorful clothes. Previously it was prescribed to wear only white clothes, while offering puja, but this custom is now almost forgotten by the Lohanas.
See also
*
Rana Vachhraj
Rana Vachhraj was a king of Lohar-Gadha in 13th century AD in what is now Afghanistan. Rana was the elder son of Rana Vasupal and elder brother of Rana Jashraj and their only sister Harkor.
History
After the death of Rana Vasupal, as the elder s ...
References
External links
*Lohanas in Diaspora, Rohit Barot, Department of Sociology, Centre for the Study of Minorities and Social Change,University of Bristo
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Veer_Jasraj_Dada.jpg
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jashraj, Rana
Hindu folk deities
Regional Hindu gods