The Ghost Rider Of India

Om Banna or Bullet Baba Temple is located in Pali district near Jodhpur, India. It is devoted to a deity in the form of a motorcycle! It is located 20 kilometres from Pali and 53 kilometres away from Jodphur on the Pali-Jodhpur highway, near Chotila village.  The motorcycle is a 350cc Royal Enfield Bullet numbered RNJ 7773. Hundreds of devotees visit the shrine daily to offer their prayers for a safe journey!

On 2nd December 1988, Om Banna (formerly known as Om Singh Rathore) Banna is an honorary word used for Rajput youth. He was travelling from the town of Bangdi near Sanderao of Pali to Chotila. He lost control of his motorcycle and hit a tree. He died on the spot whereas the motorcycle fell into a nearby ditch.

The next morning after the accident, local police took the motorcycle to a nearby police station. However, on the very next day, it was reported to have mysteriously disappeared from the station and was found exactly at the spot where the accident had taken place! Police, once again, took the motorcycle back, this time they emptied its fuel tank and put it under lock and key!

 

Despite all their efforts, the next morning it again disappeared and was found at the same accident site! Legend says that the motorcycle kept returning to the same ditch! It failed all attempts by police to keep it at the local police station! The motorcycle always returned to the same spot before dawn!

This news spread like fire in the area and local people started worshipping the Bullet Bike! News of the miraculous motorcycle spread to the nearby villages, and later they built a temple to worship it! This temple is known as "Bullet Baba's Temple." It is believed that Om Banna's spirit helps distressed travellers! Every day nearby villagers and travellers stop and pray to the bike and its late owner Om Singh Rathore! Those who pass by the temple, stop there and bow their heads and give offerings in honour of the helpful spirit. Some drivers also offer small bottles of alcohol at the site. It is said that a person who does not stop to pray at the shrine attracts the wrath of Bullet Baba and meets with an accident.

Devotees also apply the 'tilak' mark and tie a red thread on the motorbike. Local people sing folk songs in the name of Om Banna. 

Offerings include Incense sticks, flowers, coconut, liquor, red thread and sweets. An eternal flame is kept lighting at the shrine. Around 20-25 shops in the forest on the side of the road are decorated with offerings of prasad and puja Archana and also there is a platform surrounded by crowds with a large photo of Om Banna and an eternally burning flame.

This temple has become very famous in recent times. The spirit of Om BannaIt is said to appear to the vehicle drivers to take measures to protect the vehicles from the accident and to alert the drivers at night! It is said that the soul of Om Banna would forcefully stop or slow down the vehicle reaching that accidental place so that no other driver like him would become the victim of untimely death! Many such legends can be heard from the mouths of the people living here, in which Om Banna's soul had saved their lives.

 Today, this place teaches every commuting driver to drive safely by following all the traffic rules!