Tal Chhapar Sanctuary

Khatu Shyam Temple

Khatu is a small town in Sikar district, 80 km by road from Jaipur, and what is worshipped in its temple is a head, an idol in stone. In the legend behind it, Barbareek, a grandson of Bhima, gave his head to Krishna before the Kurukshetra war and was promised worship as Shyam in the Kaliyug. The head, the story goes, was found when a cow's udders spilled milk over the spot at Khatu where it lay buried, and villagers dug it out at the place said to be the Shyam Kund, a holy pond near the temple. The temple is white marble. Its prayer hall, the Jagmohan, has walls painted with scenes from the myths, and the sanctum's shutters are sheathed in silver. Five aartis mark the day, the first before 6 am and the last at 9 pm or later. Check the lunar calendar as well as the month. The Falgun (Lakkhi) Mela, in February or March, builds to Shukla Ekadashi, and in 2026 cameras on the approach path counted 4.10 lakh people by the evening of its third day. Come for the mela if the crowd is what you want. Beyond it, the temple marks each lunar month's Shukla Ekadashi, Dwadashi and Amavasya as special days, and days held sacred to Shyam are when pilgrims come from far beyond Rajasthan. For a shorter queue, pick a day that is none of these, and do not expect an empty temple even then.