In this Indian temple, devotees pray to a bike to prevent road accidents

India is known all around the world for three things - Diversity, Food, and of course, the Temples. India is home to countless temples, each with their own significance, their own legends, and of course, different Gods, Goddesses and rituals. In fact, there are also temples dedicated to mystic trees, certain animals, and even bikes! There is the Karni Mata temple where mice are worshipped, a Bangalore temple where the milk offered to Shivling is given back to the devotees as buttermilk, and a temple in Uttarakhand where it is believed that the severed head of Lord Ganesha is kept.
And here we mention another unique temple where people pray to a bike.

Road accidents are a major concern in India, and they unfortunately claim thousands of lives every year. Speeding, reckless driving, and unsafe road conditions lead to these tragedies and countless families lose their loved ones.

And while road safety measures will be the first thing to come to mind when thinking about preventing road accidents, some people believe in a certain temple to prevent tragedies.

Located near Pali in Rajasthan, Om Banna Dham, also known as Bullet Baba Temple, is a one-of-a-kind shrine. Here, people offer prayers not to a deity or a man, but to a 350cc Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle that has been immensely popular among travellers and truck drivers, who stop by to seek blessings for a safe journey.

(Image: bhavani_jk999/Instagram)

The legend behind Om Banna Dham is said to start with a man named Om Singh Rathore, who was riding his bike when he met with a fatal accident near a village. While Om did not survive the crash, his motorcycle was taken by the police to the nearby station, and it kept disappearing and returning to the accident site on its own.

Many travellers and locals believe that the bike of Om Banna has special powers, and wishing to redo the whole situation, where Om does not die, it vanished from the police station and went to the accident site. People believe that Om Banna’s bike gained special powers after the accident, and in an attempt to save others, it blesses people with safety from road accidents.
In fact, there have been stories of people escaping deadly accidents after visiting the temple.

Om Banna Dham is frequented by people from the nearby villages and locals, but is also a must-visit on the route for people who are travelling to Jodhpur, Pali, or if they see the temple on their way.
But bikers, travellers, and tourists who are interested in knowing about India's unique and lesser-known places of worship also give their attendance to Om Banna.