A grand Bhajan Sandhya titled “Ek Shaam Shurapura Ke Naam” was held at Shivam Park Society in Narol, Ahmedabad, dedicated to the folk deity Shurapura. Devotees attended in large numbers.
An air of devotion and celebration
The evening’s bhajan singing filled the society grounds with faith and celebration.
Bhajan Sandhyas for folk deities
The event reflects the continuing popularity of Bhajan Sandhyas dedicated to folk deities within Ahmedabad’s Rajasthani samaj.
Shurapura — the worship of the brave
In the folk tradition of Rajasthan and Gujarat, Shurapura are men who gave their lives protecting their community, their cattle or their faith, and who came to be worshipped as deities. Almost every village and family line has its own Shurapura, worshipped at a than or raised platform.
The continuity of folk faith
That the worship of these folk deities survives alongside the major gods and goddesses shows how seriously migrant communities hold on to their local and family faiths.
Than and platforms
Folk deities are usually worshipped at an open than or platform rather than in a temple. Once families settle in cities, they keep the memory of those places alive through events such as a Bhajan Sandhya.
