Rajasthan’s Shekhawati region is thick with shrines. A family setting out for Khatu Shyam Ji often pays its respects at Balaji’s, the Mother’s and Dadi’s courts on the same journey.
Which shrine first? Devotees ask this often. There is no single rule — each family has its own custom, and that is the right one. Below is a short introduction to each shrine, so the journey is a pilgrimage and not just a tour.
Shyam Kund — in Khatu itself
A visit to Khatu is held incomplete without Shyam Kund. By tradition this is where Baba’s sheesh (head) appeared — found when the ground was dug after a cow was seen releasing her milk there of her own accord. Devotees bathe or sip its water before going for darshan.
Salasar Balaji (Churu)
Hanuman ji enshrined at Salasar in Churu district — Salasar Balaji — is among Rajasthan’s greatest Hanuman shrines. By tradition the murti appeared while a field was being ploughed at Asota village in Nagaur district, and was installed at Salasar through the devotion of Balaji’s great bhakt, Mohandas ji.
The story goes that the murti was brought by bullock cart, and where the bullocks stopped of their own accord, Balaji was installed. Mohandas ji’s samadhi is in the temple complex. A combined Khatu–Salasar yatra is very common among Shyam devotees.
Jeen Mata and Harsh Parvat (Sikar)
In the Aravalli hills of Sikar district stands the ancient temple of Jeen Mata. In the folk tale, after a rift with her brother Harsh, Jeen (Jayanti) came here to do tapasya; her brother Harsh Bhairav’s temple stands on the nearby Harsh Parvat. Because of this brother–sister bond, devotees also come here on Raksha Bandhan.
Jeen Mata is held to be a form of Maa Durga, and the temple is especially crowded at Navratri. Reaching it involves a short climb on foot.
Shakambhari Mata, Sakrai (Sikar)
Near Udaipurwati, in the Malketu valley of the Aravallis, lies Sakrai Dham — the temple of Shakambhari Mata, also called Sakrai Mata. Maa Shakambhari has three principal shrines in the country: Sakrai, Sambhar and Saharanpur.
Shakambhari Mata is the kuldevi of many communities. The green valley, and the Shankar Ganga stream that runs past in the rains, make the shrine special. Large numbers of devotees come at Navratri.
Rani Sati Dadi (Jhunjhunu)
The Rani Sati Dadi temple in Jhunjhunu is a centre of deep faith for the Marwari community. On Bhadrapada Amavasya (Bhadi Amavas) a great festival is held, with lakhs of devotees arriving for the mangal-path, bhajan-kirtan and procession.
For families who worship Dadi ji as their kuldevi, Jhunjhunu is a natural part of the Khatu journey.
Planning the journey
Each shrine has its own darshan hours and festival days, and on Navratri, Amavasya or mela days the crowds multiply. Allow enough time at each one and do not rush the darshan. For where to stay in Khatu and Baba’s aarti timings, see the related pages below.