Meet Tejaswi Kumari Jodha, the 13-Year-Old Who Became Kherwagarh’s First Female Royal Heir, Breaking a Centuries-Old Rajasthani Tradition

RAJASTHAN’S PAAG KA DASTOOR CEREMONY is a well-renowned tradition followed by Rajput families, in which the successor of the family is chosen through a sacred ritual. For generations, the mantle has been passed down to the next heir, but one rule has remained unchanged—the next royal heir must be a son. 

However, this centuries-old tradition has now been rewritten after 13-year-old Tejaswi Kumari Jodha became the heir to a former royal family in Rajasthan's Pali district.

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What is Paag ka Dastoor?

The ceremony took place on June 25, 2026, under the traditional Paag ka Dastoor ceremony, a succession ritual held after the head of the family, or the Thakur, dies. During the ceremony, the heir wears a paag (turban) and a blood-stained tilak (mark) on their forehead. According to an India Today report, this sacred tradition has been followed by the Rajput community and the former royal families of Rajasthan since the 17th century.

The ceremony symbolises the responsibility that is handed down to the next supreme head of the family. Images and video clips posted on social media showed Tejaswi Kumari Jodha wearing a pink turban on her head, a tilak on her forehead, and a red garland around her neck. The ceremony also included a ritual during which Vedic mantras were chanted. Her attire represented that the mourning period had officially concluded and that the responsibility of protecting the family's honour had been passed down to her.

With this milestone, Tejaswi Kumari Jodha has become the first girl in the Kherwagarh royal lineage to be declared the next head of the family. Prior to this, only boys had been selected as successors to the family for generations. According to media reports, the tradition of Paag ka Dastoor had not been conducted for nearly 65 years. This time, however, the sacred ritual followed various Rajput customs that have been part of the tradition for centuries.

Social media reacts to Tejaswi Kumari Jodha’s Succession 

Several users on social media applauded the shift in the traditional custom, saying that it was not being changed but rather "reshaped." One user on X wrote, "Change is a necessity, and it's about time. Such good examples will inspire others to follow."

The decision to select Tejaswi as the next head of the family was a collective one taken by the elders of the community. According to reports, Tejaswi's father had no son, and the family had not performed Paag ka Dastoor for more than six decades because there was no male heir.

Tejaswi Kumari Jodha is currently a seventh-grade student and has now become the next head of the family. At just 13 years of age, Tejaswi's appointment as the family head has brought about a shift within her community, marking a step against gender prejudice.

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(Edited by Harsh Pandey)

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