The head after the war
The Mahabharata war ended. With the victory of the Pandavas and the establishment of dharma, Barbarika’s gifted head had fulfilled its purpose — it had witnessed the whole of the war. By Krishna’s instruction, that sacred head was laid in a place on the bank of the Rupavati river.
This place later came to be known as the village of Khatu, in the Sikar district of Rajasthan. The head lay merged in the earth — for centuries, for ages — until that special moment of the Kali Yuga when it was to appear again.
The leela of the cow and the milk
In the early period of the Kali Yuga, a cowherd near Khatu village took his cows to graze each day. Among them was a white cow — special, gentle, much loved.
Day after day the cowherd saw that this cow would reach a certain spot, stop, and of her own accord let her milk flow onto the ground. The stream of milk would sink into the earth. The cowherd could not understand this wondrous leela.
He told the people of his village. Brahmins and elders came, studied the spot. One Brahmin said: "This place is divine. Surely something sacred lies buried here."
The digging and the appearance of the head
The villagers and the Brahmin set themselves to dig at the spot. With faith and resolve the spade went down. After some depth they saw a shining object.
They dug deeper — and then appeared the divine head of Barbarika. Radiant, unblemished, smiling. On its face was the same peace that Krishna had seen at the moment of its gift, as though thousands of years had not passed at all.
The villagers were filled with wonder and devotion. The head was placed with great reverence, and its worship began.
The king’s dream and the founding of the temple
In those days the land near Khatu was under the Chauhan king Roop Singh. One night he had a divine dream — Barbarika appeared before him, with Krishna, and said: "O king, my head has appeared at Khatu. Build a temple for me there. From here, in the Kali Yuga, I will hear the call of my devotees."
King Roop Singh came at once to Khatu. Beholding the head, he was overcome. With full faith and royal support, he began building a temple at that very spot.
By the sources, the temple was completed around 1027 CE. The head was installed on the same altar where Shyam Baba is seated to this day. From then the village of Khatu came to be called "Shyam Dham", and the boon Barbarika had received from Krishna — "in the Kali Yuga you will be worshipped as Shyam" — was fulfilled in truth.
The stream of Shyam in the Kali Yuga
Since the founding of the temple at Khatu, the glory of Shyam Baba has only grown over the centuries. Rajputs, Gujjars, Marwaris and devotees from across north India began coming to Khatu. On the main aarti day of Phalgun Shukla Ekadashi, lakhs of devotees gather — what is today called the Lakhi Mela.
Shyam Baba’s fame spread as "Hare ka Sahara" — the refuge of the vanquished. Whoever was defeated in life, broken, in despair, came to Khatu, and returned with new hope. The vow Krishna gave to Barbarika lives on at Khatu to this day.
And so the three-parva journey from Barbarika to Khatu Shyam is complete — from birth, through the gift of the head, to the re-appearance in the Kali Yuga. Jai Shri Shyam.
॥ Thus ends the third parva — the Pragatya of Khatu Shyam ॥