Bullet Baba Temple
You can hear many unusual stories in India. The most recent one I came across is “Bullet Baba Temple”. It all started when I was travelling from Jodhpur to Udaipur, when the driver said “Sir, May I stop here for for some time? I want to buy a bottle of beer”. I was surprised by this request, and noticing my puzzled face, he said “Its not for me to drink. I want to offer it to Bullet Baba”! And that’s when my curiosity began and he explained the whole story!
Bullet Baba Temple
The story so far!
The story behind the temple goes this way. Om Singh Rathore was a biker. His love for the bike was immense, and he always used to be found along with his Royal Enfield 350cc bike. In 1998, during one of his rides, he lost control of the bike, and crashed it into a tree. The bike along with him rolled over, and fell into a ditch, instantly killing him. The police began its usual formality of assessing the accident spot, took custody of the bike, and by evening, parked it in the police station. Next day, when police came back to duty, they observed that the bike was missing! They launched a search, and after few hours, the bike was found near the accident spot. Thinking that it was a prank by someone, they bought the bike back to police station, emptied the fuel tank, and chained the bike. However, the next day, the bike went missing again!! And was found at the accident spot! It is believed that this happened several times. Frustrated, police then released the vehicle to the family of Om Singh who then sold the bike to someone in Gujarat (about 400 km from the accident spot). Much to the surprise of everyone, the bike was found at the accident sport few days later!
The tree to which Om Singh had crashed his bike
This story then spread like wildfire, and locals started believing that the spirit of Om Singh Rathore is still around. Due to his love towards his bike, his spirit starts missing the bike if it is taken away, and the spirit gets it back to the accident spot! Many more attempts were made again to move the bike away from the spot, but in vain. It was then that the locals decided to build a temple in the honor of Om Singh, more popularly known as Om Banna. The temple is now called Om Banna Temple or Bullet Baba Temple.
Temple Entry
Bullet Baba Temple
The temple is no different then any other open temples that you find elsewhere in the country, but with one difference. The deity here is the Royal Enfield 350cc bike! Yes, the bike is now placed on a raised platform, and protected with glass shields. The ditch where the bike was found initially was covered by the locals, a raised platform was built, and a bust of Om Singh is now kept on the platform. Numerous drivers who travel by this route stop and seek blessings from this temple for their safe journey ahead.
Bike used by Om Banna
Similar to other temples, you can also find a priest who performs certain pujas, collects offerings from visitors, and offers it to the deity! Visitors and believers offer liquor of all kinds (beer, whiskey etc) at the temple. They believe that offering alcohol to the diety at the temple would make their journey safer!
Some things remain unanswered
The weirdness of the bullet doesn’t stop there. It is also believed that the bike, on some occasions, starts automatically and then stops after some time! Even today, people who live in the vicinity can hear the sound of the bullet (on certain full moon nights) for few minutes!
Location
Where to Stay?
- Jodhpur
Distance Chart
From | Distance (in km) |
Jodhpur | 50 |
Udaipur | 200 |
Bikaner | 300 |
Jaipur | 325 |
Jaisalmer | 345 |