A Shrine Dedicated To Royal Enfield In Rajasthan

Published: Thursday, June 27, 2013, 14:24 [IST]

There are people who love motorcycles and then there are people who worship them, literally. While we have heard about temples where famous personalities like Sachin and Amitabh Bachan are worshiped, there is a temple in Rajasthan where the deity is a Royal Enfield Bullet 350 motorcycle.

Its not just the Bullet 350 that is worshiped here. The shrine is also dedicated to the bike's dead owner as well. The temple is in fact, located at the same spot where the biker died 24 years back. Here is the strange story behind the setting up of the temple.

Royal Enfield Bullet 350 Temple, Rajasthan

The temple, built by the residents of Chotila village, is located on National Highway 65, in Pali, Rajasthan. The same spot where the owner of the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 met his end in an accident on December 2, 1988.

Om Singh Rathore, son of a local leader and the proud owner of the Royal Enfield Bullet 350, crashed into a tree one unfortunate day and died on the spot.

His Bullet was taken by the Police for investigation. However, under explained circumstances the bike returned back to the spot of the accident. This repeated several times over. The police would chain the bike and even emptied the fuel tank, but the Bullet vanished from the police station each time, only to be found at the same spot.

The police finally gave up. The bike and his owner gained a special status among the superstitious villagers, who now worship Om Singh Rathore as Om banna or Bullet Baba. Villagers continue to seek blessings before leaving on a long journey. The villagers have even appointed a full time priest. India is indeed strange and fascinating.