RAS question
Gogaji, a folk deity of Rajasthan, is worshipped as a protector against:
Correct answer: (B) Snake bites.
Gogaji, also known as Goga Veer or Jaharveer, is worshipped in Rajasthan as a protector against snake bites.
Explanation
Gogaji, or Goga Veer, is worshipped as Jaharveer, the snake deity. Devotees believe that he protects them from snake bites, and people worship him in Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab. Rajasthan Tourism's Hanumangarh page describes the Temple of Shri Gogaji at Gogamedi. According to the legend recounted there, he was a warrior with spiritual powers and was also known as the God of Snakes. The page also describes him on horseback, with a lance in his hand and a snake around his neck. This is why RAS Art and Culture questions associate Gogaji not with a general calamity but specifically with snakes and protection from snake bites. Gogaji's background is associated with Dadrewa, Churu and his Chauhan Rajput lineage, but the distinctive belief linked to him concerns protection from snake bites.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Cattle plague is more closely associated with Pabuji, whereas Gogaji is specifically associated with snakes and protection from snake bites.
- (C) Eye diseases fit neither Gogaji's identity as Jaharveer, the snake deity, nor Rajasthan Tourism's description of him as the God of Snakes.
- (D) Drought is a broad environmental crisis, whereas the distinctive belief associated with Gogaji concerns snakes and protection from snake bites.
Concept
This question tests Rajasthan's folk-deity tradition in the History, Art and Culture syllabus. In RAS, you need to know a deity's region and background and also identify the specific local tradition or symbol associated with that deity and the danger from which the deity is believed to offer protection. Such questions repeatedly test these distinctions.