Shastra Poojan - Worship of Armory

Shastra Poojan - Worship of Armory

On the occasion of Vijaya Dashami festival, Mr. Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar along with his son Master Haritraj Singh Mewar, worshipped the historical weapons with rituals. Mr. Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar worshipped the weapons with traditional chanting of mantras in the 'Salehkhana' (armory) built during the tenure of Maharana Udai Singh II (r. 1537- 1572) on 12th October 2024.

Mr. Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar made his son Master Haritraj Singh Mewar aware of the historical importance of the weapons of Maharana Sanga, Maharana Raj Singh, Maharana Pratap and other valiant Maharanas. 7 historical swords, a shield, a spear, 2 guns, 2 daggers, bow and arrow were enshrined in the historical weapon worship of the former dynasty of Mewar. These swords of Mewar are made of steel iron. Mewar has been a special center for steel swords. Whenever Maharana of Mewar used to go to attend any festival or event, he used to take a specially prepared sword with him. The artisans here had special expertise in preparing these decorated swords. The skill of gold wire work, kundan, meenakari and gemstone studded and Kaurbandi etc. can be seen on their hilt. A shield was kept in the hand of the warrior for protection in the war, the gold work on the shield is very amazing. The high craftsmanship on the spear and dagger of Mewar is also unique. Both the guns included in the weapon worship have gold wire Koftgiri work, which is counted among the most ancient and important weapons. The tribals of Mewar had the first priority in Maharana Pratap's army with bow and arrow. A bow and iron arrow were kept in this worship. - Flags of Sajjan Infantry, Mewar Lancers and Nishan were also included in the Puja According to the Suryavanshi tradition in the Mewar dynasty, the worship of arms on the Vijaya Dashami festival on Ashwin Shukla Dashami has special significance. After worshipping Shakti for nine days during Navaratri, there has been a tradition of 'worshipping arms' on Dussehra. On this festival, the Maharana has been coming with a huge entourage to worship the 'Shami tree'. Over time, the importance of this festival increased in the Mewar kingdom. On Dussehra, the Maharana would come outside the Hathi Pol with a procession and perform 'Shami Pujan' and after the worship, he would go to the palace. The Maharanas had formed different military forces as per the need of the time during their respective reigns. Flags of Sajjan Infantry, Mewar Lancers and Nishan were also included in the Puja. During the tenure of Maharana Sajjan Singh (r. 1874-1884 CE), 'Sajjan Infantry' was formed, which was reorganized in 1942 as a B-class unit of the Indian States Force and again in 1942 as a half battalion as a State Service Unit. Mewar Lancers were formed during the tenure of Maharana Fateh Singh (r. 1884-1930 CE). Currently, this force is functioning as Unit 'A' of the Indian State Force in the Indian Army. Nishan flag on which the image of the Sun and the Mewari dagger is made.