These stories have been passed down for centuries in the Marwari community and the Shyam-devotee tradition, largely by word of mouth. Read them with devotion and reverence — they are the echo of the shared experience of the lakhs of devotees who have found their refuge in Shyam Baba.
Seth Abeerchand Kothari’s dream
The famous Marwar merchant Seth Abeerchand Kothari is said to have received a dream-vision one night. Shyam Baba bade him come to Khatu and help in the building of the temple.
The very next day, the tradition holds, the Seth drew a great part of his fortune from his business and began the building of the temple at Khatu. Pleased with his devotion, it is believed, Shyam Baba blessed his whole lineage with prosperity.
To this day a belief runs in the Marwari community: Shyam Baba never sends his devotees away disappointed.
Hare ka Sahara — coming at the call
Krishna himself gave the word: "You will be the refuge of the vanquished." In the Kali Yuga, when a devotee wrestles with deep pain or defeat and calls on "Hare ka Sahara" with a true heart, Shyam Baba becomes that refuge — a faith current for centuries.
In many Marwari, Rajasthani and north-Indian families, Shyam Baba is revered almost as a family deity. Many begin every new venture only after saying "Shyam Baba ki jai".
The wondrous sight of the Phalgun Mela
Every year, from Phalgun Shukla Ekadashi to Dwadashi, lakhs of devotees come to Khatu — walking the full eighteen kilometres from Ringas barefoot, carrying Shyam Baba’s nishan.
Devotees say that however vast the crowd at the mela, there is never a shortage of food, water or rest. The seva-camps, the langar kitchens and the bhandaras keep up an unbroken service.
This whole arrangement is a living example of spontaneous devotion — a symbol of the whole community’s shared faith in Shyam Baba.
The cow and the stream of milk
The most famous story of the Khatu Pragatya — a cow would, each day, of her own accord let a stream of milk flow onto a particular spot. Digging at that spot revealed the divine head of Barbarika.
This story is the link that joins the "gift of the head" of the Dvapara Yuga to the "manifestation of Shyam" in the Kali Yuga. Devotees see in it a divine sign — that Shyam Baba himself gives the sign of his presence to call his devotees.
The tradition of the Nishan Yatra
The tradition of offering a "nishan" at Shyam Baba’s temple is a very special one. Devotees make the eighteen-kilometre walk from Ringas to Khatu carrying a saffron flag (nishan) in hand.
The belief in the Marwari community is that when a devotee’s wish or longing is fulfilled, they come to offer a nishan to Shyam Baba. It is a living example of thanksgiving and devoted surrender.
At the Phalgun Mela, lakhs of nishans are offered together at Khatu — a wondrous sight that still touches the heart of every devotee.