Khatu Shyam Ji: In the last few years, a distinctive symbol – a sticker with a bow and three arrows – has started being seen on many cars on the roads of Delhi-NCR. This simple looking symbol is associated with a deep spiritual story and this trend directly reflects the growing devotion towards Khatu Shyam Ji.
Khatu Shyam Ji is a popular Hindu deity, whose famous temple is located in Sikar district of Rajasthan.
The increasing number of stickers on vehicles shows how the wave of faith in Khatu Shyam Ji has crossed the borders of Rajasthan and has especially taken root among the residents of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi. According to a report, a video on YouTube titled ‘The Sudden Rise of Khatu Shyam Ji’ takes viewers through the mythology, history associated with the deity and the recent social media influence that has brought the revered personality into the national spotlight.
story of barbarikThe video begins with, “You must have seen these three arrow bow stickers on vehicles a lot, but till now 10-15 years ago, neither did anyone have these stickers on their vehicle nor did anyone have an idol of Khatu Shyam Ji in their house. Then the video tells the story of the deity, “You know Khatu Shyam Ji is the barbaric of Mahabharata with three arrows who donated his head (Khatu Shyam Ji is actually the king of Mahabharata) Barbarika who offered his head in sacrifice).” His story is not found in the Mahabharata or the Bhagavata Purana but in the Kaumarika section of the Skanda Purana.
Shri Krishna cut off his head
In the video, he describes how Barbarik was the grandson of Bhima and the son of Ghatotkacha and Kamakatankata, the daughter of the demon king. Barbarik, endowed with immense power, performed penance and attained divine powers. When he met a sage named Vijay, the sage presented him with sacred ashes from his fire pit, which could reveal the weaknesses of his enemies. Barbarika kept the ashes in his hollow bow and later claimed that he could destroy the entire Kaurava army in a minute. Hearing this, Shri Krishna cut off his head with Sudarshan Chakra. After his sacrifice the gods appeared and told that Barbarik was once a Yaksha who was cursed by Brahma because of his arrogance. Then Krishna blessed the head of Barbarika and said that in Kaliyuga he will be worshiped as a deity who fulfills the wishes of the devotees in the name of Khatu Shyam Ji.
The story of Khatu Shyam ji is mentioned in the Kaumarika section of Skanda Purana. (Photo Credit: X)
How did the temple come into existence?
In the video it is also told how the temple of Khatu Shyam ji came into existence. Roop Singh Chauhan and his wife Narmada Kanwar built the first temple in 1027 AD. He had seen a buried idol in his dream, which is now known as Shyam Kund. The idol was found there and a temple was built in its honour. In 1720 AD, Diwan Abhay Singh rebuilt the temple in its present form. The Battle of Khatu Shyam Ji took place in 1779 when the Rajputs of Jaipur defended the temple against the Mughal invasion. The Rajputs fought fiercely to protect the temple, ultimately killing the Mughal commander Murtaza Khan and ensuring the safety of the temple.
Growing online religious culture
One of the biggest reasons for the suddenly increasing popularity of Khatu Shyam ji is the internet. With the growing trend of sharing travel experiences, devotees now record and post reels and vlogs of their travels, leading to the rise of ‘online religious culture’. Today people are excited about those religious places which earlier were limited only to certain areas. This is something which was not seen before in the last 4-5 years. They also link this increase to development around pilgrimage sites and cultural changes seen after 2014. Since 2014, we have seen a big change, there has been an openness and confidence among people about their Hindu identity.
Important role of devotional music
Devotional music has played an important role in spreading the name of Khatu Shyam ji. Earlier people had to struggle a lot to find cassettes and CDs of bhajans, but now when the internet has reached every home, these bhajans are easily available. Many popular singers have composed bhajans based on Khatu Shyam Ji which have become online sensations.
growing faith of youth
Now the youth also have an important role among the devotees of Khatu Shyam ji. This trend can be understood through a ‘formula’ that includes drive, vision, performance and departure. Often groups of friends take short road trips from nearby cities like Delhi, Meerut, Jaipur or Indore to visit the temple. They seek blessings, take photographs and share them online, making their visit a spiritual and social experience.