Baba Shyam is considered an incarnation of Kalyug. Shyam is also called Sahara of Hare. Every year millions of devotees come to the court of Baba Shyam to burn the head. But, do you know who Baba Shyam is… and why Baba Shyam’s temple is built in Khatushyam ji… which is famous all over the world.
It is mentioned in the Mahabharata that Bhima’s son was Ghatotkacha and his sons were Barbarik. Barbarik was a devotee of the Mother Goddess. Pleased with the penance and devotion of Barbarik, the Goddess Maa gave them three arrows, from one of which he could destroy the entire earth. In such a situation, when the war of Mahabharata was going on, Barbarik proposed to his mother Hidimba to fight the war. Then Barbarik’s mother thought that the army of Kauravas is large and the army of Pandavas is small, so perhaps the Kaurava would overshadow the Pandavas in the war. Then Hidimba said that you will fight on the losing side. After this, the barbaric people went out to participate in the war of Mahabharata, obeyed the mother. But, Shri Krishna knew that if the barbaric reached the battle site, then the Pandavas would win, they will fight the war on behalf of the Kauravas. Therefore, Lord Krishna took the form of a Brahmin and reached Barbarik.
Then Lord Krishna asked Barbarik to donate his head. Barbarik donated his head to Lord Krishna without any question. Due to this donation, Shri Krishna said that in Kali Yuga you will be worshiped in my name, in Kali Yuga you will be worshiped in the name of Shyam, you will be called the incarnation of Kalyug and will become the support of the loser.
When Ghatotkacha’s son Barbarik donated his head to Lord Shri Krishna, Barbarik expressed his desire to see the war of Mahabharata, then Shri Krishna put the head of Barbarik in a high place. Then Barbarik saw the entire Mahabharata war. After the end of the war, Lord Krishna threw Barbarik’s head into the pregnant river. In this way, Barbarik i.e. Baba Shyam’s head came from the pregnant river to Khatu (at that time Khatuvang city). Let us tell you that the pregnant river in Khatushyamji disappeared in 1974.
According to the locals, a cow near the Peepal tree used to give milk on its own, so when people excavated that place, Baba Shyam’s head came out from there. This head of Baba Shyam was received by the Gyaras of Phalgun month, so the birth anniversary of Baba Shyam is also celebrated on the Gyaras of Phalgun month. After the excavation, the villagers handed over the head of Baba Shyam to the Narmada Devi of the Chauhan dynasty. After this, Narmada Devi installed Baba Shyam in the sanctum sanctorum and a Shyam Kund was built at the place where Baba Shyam was dug.
