Have you ever seen a temple in which people are worshipping on a motorcycle? Bullet Baba Temple, which is renowned as Om Banna Temple, is a temple with a unique background story and is located on NH65 between Pali and Jodhpur, near the Chotila Village. This is a small shrine dedicated to Om Banna, who passed away while travelling and his bike which is a Royal Enfield Bullet 350CC. This shrine is located 50 kilometres away from Jodhpur and 20 kilometres away from Pali. This temple is visited by the people of nearby villagers and devotees to pray for a safe journey and it is a centre for tourists and travellers due to its roots. Mainly Royal Enfield enthusiasts are attracted to this temple. It is believed that Om Banna’s ghost still rides his Royal Enfield Bullet 350CC on the highway and helps the lost travellers. In recent years, Bullet Baba Temple has acquired identification beyond the borders of India and has attracted visitors from all over the world.
History of Bullet Baba Temple:
On 2nd December 1998, Om Singh Rathore who is popularly known as Om Banna (Banna is a word used for Rajput Youth) was driving his motorcycle from Bangdi near Sandareo in Pali to Chotilaoin the night time. While driving suddenly he entirely lost control of his bike and smashed into a tree.
Om Banna lost his life right away after the accident on the spot and the motorcycle fell into the nearby dump. The information about this accident reached the local police station and the next day morning, police went to the place of the accident.
The police finished the investigation and took custody of the motorcycle. On the next day, a strange thing happened in the police station. The motorcycle of Om Banna disappeared from the police station and later it was found at the place of the accident. The polices again took the motorcycle to the police station, but again it disappeared at night and was found at the same accident spot.
Polices should not understand what was happening there, they again tack back motorcycle from the accident spot to the police station and this time they cleared the gasoline tank chained the motorcycle with a metal chain and locked it, thinking that this would stop the motorcycle from going back to the accident spot.
Despite all these efforts, the motorcycle disappeared again that night and was found at the accident spot. At this time, the police planned to keep the bike in the far-away police station, but the plan also failed. All the trails to keep the motorcycle away from the accident spot failed.
In a little while, this news blew out in the nearby villages. The local people quickly believed that the motorcycle contained some divine power or special affection for the owner- Om Singh Rathore. They supposed that the motorcycle kept coming back to the accident spot as it sorrowed the death of its owner. Within a few days, the small shrine was built at the spot of the accident. This shrine rapidly gained popularity because of its special divinity and became famous by the nameBullet Baba Temple or Om Banna Temple.
In this temple, the statue of Om Banna and the 350CC Royal Enfield Bullet are kept together and worshipped here. It is still believed that Om Banna’s ghost riding his motorcycle on NH-62, at the accident occurred, on the Chotila to Pali highway to save the disturbed travellers. The local people believe that the count of road accidents has decreased near Chotila village after the death of Om Singh Rathore.
The architecture of Bullet Baba Temple:
Bullet Baba Temple is a simple shrine which is made up of cane and wood on a raised platform of 3 feet altitude. Most of the construction is an outdoor setting with only a roof on the top. This shrine contains a photograph of Om Banna and beyond that photograph the 350CC Royal Enfield motorcycle of Om Banna is placed on another raised platform it is protected with a glass covering and has a temporary roof which is made up of bamboo and cane. The covering has a sliding door through which the bike can be removed and washed every day. A huge number of temple bells are hung all around the shrine and decorated with huge bunches of flowers every day.
Also read: Jodhpur’s Best Places to Eat
How to Reach Bullet Baba Temple in Jodhpur?
Bullet Baba Temple is situated on the Pali to Jodhpur highway, NH 62, near the Chotila village which is about 53 kilometres far away from the Jodhpur.
State transport buses, self-owned vehicles, rental cabs, the bikes are the best options to reach this place. The route is so simple to understand, goes through Residency Road and NH 62 and it takes an hour to reach the Bullet Baba Temple which is near Hotel Rajaputana Heights on Pali- Jodhpur highway.
If one wants to reach by rail from the farther cities, Jodhpur Junction Railway Station is about 52 kilometres away. Instead, if you want to take a flight, Jodhpur Aerodrome also called Civil Airport Jodhpur is the closest airport. From there, you can hire a taxi or rental car to reach the temple which is far about 51 kilometres from the airport.
Other details of Bullet Baba Temple, Jodhpur:
- The temple contains no entry fee, instead, you will have to pay the fee for any special poojas and other services.
- Bullet Baba Temple opens at 6:00 AM and closes at 9:00 PM. Depending on the festivals and other special events the timings will change.
- The best time to visit the Bullet Baba Temple is between October and March because the weather is very pleasant in these months.
Conclusion:
The Bullet Baba Temple stands as a witness to the strength of belief and the human spirit. Began as a humble honour to a fallen rider and turned into an admired pilgrimage landmark. As travellers get on their journeys, they carry the blessings of Bullet Baba and believe that they are protected by a guardian divinity.
Additional Reading:
