Satyavadi Khamma Khamma Veer Teja Ji is the most famous folk deity of Rajasthan. He is considered one of the eleven major incarnations of Shiva and is worshiped as a deity in states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana.
Folk god Tejaji was born in a Kshatriya Jat family. He was believed to have been born in Magh Shukla Chaudas, Vikram Samvat 1130 (29 January 1074) in Kharnal village in Nagaur district. His father was the headman of the village. It is a story that Tejaji was married to Raimalji’s daughter Pemal in Paner village in his childhood, but shortly after the marriage, his father and Pemal’s maternal uncle had a quarrel and the sword went off in which Pemal’s maternal uncle killed.
There, due to some ignorance, his in-laws disobeyed him. Angry Khamma Khamma Veer Teja Ji started returning from there, then his first meeting with Pemal happened at his friend Lachha Gujari’s place. That same night Lachha Gujri ki Gaen Mer Meena Chura Le Gaye. On the way, Tejaji found a snake burning in the fire, so he saved that snake, but the snake got very angry due to the separation of the couple and started biting them.
Tejaji fought Meena robbers and rescued the cows. Khamma Khamma Veer Teja Ji was badly injured in this cow protection war. When he came back, he came on the snake’s bill in fulfillment of his promise, and because of the wound on his whole body, his tongue was cut off by the snake. He died of snakebite at Sursara near Kishangarh on Bhadrapada Shukla 10 Samvat 1160 (28 August 1103) and Pemal also committed sati with her.
That snake was pleased with his commitment and gave him a boon. Due to this boon, Tejaji was also worshiped as the god of snakes. In every village, Tejaji’s temple or place has an idol of the snake god along with his sword-bearing equestrian idol. In these devars, on the bite of the snake, the poison is sucked out and the thread of Tejaji is tied. Tejaji’s Nirvana Day is celebrated as Tejadashami every year on Bhadrapada Shukla Dashami. Tejaji was born in a Jat family of Dhauliya Gautra.