Bullet Baba: The Riders’ Shrine

A land of wonders, India is home to numerous communities and ideologies that people identify with. Mythology is celebrated and every act of miracle is lauded in the country. Miracles are usually acts that cannot be explained by the logic of science. This story from the 1990s features a miracle involving a bike accident and the birth of a new deity, the Bullet Baba.

The RE 350 encased and worshiped by devotees of Om Banna (Source: Wayfarer XP)

It is not uncommon to see riders on heavy sporty bikes vrooming through the roads of India seeking adrenaline and a state of bliss that comes with it. WIth the globalization of economies and businesses, Indian riders have access to all sorts of bikes that are manufactured throughout the world. But even now, one brand stands above the rest as a clear favorite, the Royal Enfield.

It was a cold winter night in Rajasthan and the people had retired to their homes. There was minimal activity outside and the atmosphere was quiet. Om Singh Rathor, a young man, was riding on his RE Bullet 350. He had consumed alcohol to battle the chilly conditions and was relying on his bullet to get him home quickly. Traveling from the town of Bangdi to Chotila, he was on the Jodhpur-Pali expressway when he suddenly lost control of the bike and crashed into a tree before ricocheting into a ditch. There was no one else on the highway and Om Singh painfully breathed his last, with his faithful companion beside him in the ditch. It was not until morning that they were discovered and the bullet was hauled away by the police.

While everyone thought of it as an unfortunate accident and got on with their affairs, the bullet was likely in a lot of sorrow and could not bear the absence of its beloved rider, Om Singh. The next morning, to everyone’s surprise, the bike was found at the site of the accident. Dismissing it as an act of mischief by a miscreant, the police towed back the bullet, chained it and emptied its fuel tank. They believed this was an end to the story. But the bike had other plans.

The morning dawned and this time, the police woke up to broken chains and an empty spot where the bike was put to rest. Strangely enough, it had made its way back to the tree beside the highway where Om Singh bid it farewell. The police had a tough time understanding how it happened, but they brought it back again. But it was as if the bike knew where it needed to be and it kept breaking its shackles, leaving the police dumbfounded.

The news spread like wildfire and people believed it was the ghost of Om Singh that was causing the miracle. The bike was installed near the tree and worshiped. Some time later, a temple was built around it and came to be known as ‘Om Banna’, with the now holy bike called the ‘Bullet Baba’. The mystery behind the bike’s movement was never explained and it gradually became a story that raptured listeners.

Through the following years, the shrine of Bullet Baba etched itself into the fables of bike riders and grew in fame. It is believed that Om Banna is the guardian angel for all bikers and if one stops at the temple and prays to the idol, they shall have a safe journey. Interestingly enough, liquor is the most common offering that people bring, reminiscing the night of the accident when an intoxicated Om Singh had met his end.

Today, the Om Banna temple with the Bullet Baba shrine is one of the most unique attractions in India and has become a spot for riders of all kinds to make their prayers in the hopes of a safe journey. The next time you’re in Rajasthan and on the Jodhpur- Pali expressway, you know what to do.

Once a trusted travel companion, now the famous Bullet Baba (Source: Biking Mystery)