Sati Ratna | Revered Figure | Rajpurohit History

Ratna was married into the distinguished Rajpurohit family of Desalsar. Her husband, Bhanji, was the son of Rupram ji and brother of her father-in-law was Kanot Shimbhuramji (martyred warrior), whose wife, Sati Umade, also performed sati, and she is one of the most remembered tales of the community.

Through her marriage, Ratna became part of a lineage associated with martial valor and religious devotion, descending from Thakur Rughnathji, the renowned Rajpurohit military general.

According to community traditions, Ratna performed sati following the death of her husband Bhanji. While the exact circumstances of Bhanji’s death are less elaborated in oral history compared to the martyrdom of Shimbhuramji, Ratna’s act of self-immolation is remembered as a continuation of the family’s legacy of pativrata dharma (devotion of a wife to her husband).

Local lore states that her decision was made with unwavering determination, and her act elevated her status to that of a revered sati mata within the community.

Sati Ratna is honored in Desalsar and among the Rajpurohit community as a symbol of purity, loyalty, and sacrifice. Her cenopath is still present at the village of Desalsar Purohitan. Alongside her mother-in-law, Umade, she is remembered in oral genealogies, folklore, and commemorative traditions.

In many Rajpurohit family narratives, Ratna and Umade together represent a lineage of extraordinary pativrata women whose blessings were believed to ensure valor and invincibility for their descendants.

This article is based on oral traditions and community genealogies of the Rajpurohit families of Desalsar, Rajasthan. Historical inscriptions of Sati Ratna’s sati (if present) would provide further detail.