Every year, Goga Navami is celebrated on the day of Gadrapad Krishna Navami, and this festival is dedicated to the well-known folk deity Goga Ji Maharaj. Goga Ji Maharaj is also known by the names Goga Pir, Jahar Pir, or Jahar Vir Baba. He enjoys special reverence in many parts of North India, including Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab. In many places, he is worshipped as a deity protecting against snakes. Notably, followers of Goga Ji Maharaj are found not only among Hindus but also among Muslims. Worship of Goga Ji Maharaj is also conducted in Pakistan, and videos of these rituals regularly go viral on social media.
Who is Goga Ji Maharaj? The famous temple of Goga Pir is located in the village of Gogamedi, in the Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan state. This temple holds special significance for both Hindus and Muslims. Hindus know him as Goga Ji Maharaj, while Muslims call him Goga Pir. According to folk beliefs, Goga Ji Maharaj was a great warrior possessing divine and spiritual powers. It is believed that worshipping Jahar Vir Baba wards off the fear of snakes, which is why he is also called the king of snakes or the serpent deity.
In the Gogamedi temple, Goga Ji Maharaj is depicted riding a horse, holding a drum in his hand, with the umbrella of Nagraj visible above his head. People from both religions, Hinduism and Islam, travel from afar to worship at the Gogamedi temple. Every year in July or August, a large festival takes place here, during which devotees arrive from vast distances, dressed in yellow attire, performing prostrations.
Followers of Goga Ji Maharaj hold great reverence for his banner, known as Goga Chhadi. This is a long, decorated flag in blue and saffron colors. This sacred banner is made from a long bamboo pole to which peacock feathers, colored cloth, rattles, and masks made of silver or brass are attached. Some people, along with the chief priest, carry this banner to the sacred place while playing drums, mangire, or dereu.
In the districts of the Punjab province in Pakistan, there is also great veneration for Goga Ji Maharaj or Goga Pir. Similar to North India, people here worship the symbolic banner of Goga Pir and carry it to the sacred place, parading through streets and villages. In Bahawalpur, Rawalpindi, Sialkot, and Gujranwala in Pakistan, processions with the banners of Goga Pir take place annually during this time, and many videos of these processions continue to circulate on social media.