The Enfield Shrine.

www.london-motorcycle-museum.org

The Story of Om Bana

I first encountered this tale from a book by Alistair Shearer called “Views from an Indian bus”. This peaked my interest to see if this was true I looked it up on the internet to find that there is even something on YouTube to see. At the time I thought I must see this and when I visited India it was on the list of things to do. This version of his story comes from the taxi driver who took us from Udaipur to Chotila more than 250km away.

 Some of the damage to the Enfield.
 

Om Bana rode a 350 Enfield Bullet and on his wedding day, and as with any wedding day not everything goes according to plan. Something had been forgotten and he and a friend went off on the Bullet to get it. Sadly to say that on their journey they encountered a truck and in the accident Om died by the tree next to the shrine and his friend injured. This was on National Highway 62 near the village of Chotila. Om’s friend survived to relate the tale. After the accident the bike was taken to the local Police Station where it would remain until proceedings have been completed. The next day the bike was missing from the Police station. It had found its way back to the site of the accident. The Police collected the bike and took it back to their station. The next day the bike was missing from the Police station again. It had found its way back to the site of the accident. The Police collected the bike and took it back to their station. The same thing happened the next day and the day after until someone at the station, thinking a practical joke removed all the fuel and oil from the machine that was under lock and key. The next day the bike was again missing and turned up at the site of the accident. In desperation the Police returned the bike to the family to do something with it. The family decided that if that was where the bike wanted to be then so be it and left it there. It has now become a shrine for the biking community. This happened more than ten years ago. There is more, in that on the anniversary of Om’s death the bike starts up on its own and runs for a while. In an interview it is said that his wife has had Om visit after his death during the night and now she has a child.

India is a very spiritual place and that anything that can be done to keep the gods happy is worth doing. Upsetting them will do you no good at all. In reverence to Om and, obviously a spirit had been embodied in his 350 Bullet, the bike is now revered as a god of motorcycling and given respect and offerings. Paying tribute will bring you safe riding. Much has been built around the bike, a glass case to protect it from the weather a dais for the pictures of Om, the flame and incense bowl. You enter under a row of bells as in India all spirits are sleeping so to awaken them, to hear you, a bell must be rung. Just beyond that there is usually a ”Holy Man” who will give you a smudge of red in the centre of your forehead called a bindi. A gift of money is required.

 The Dais.

As you walk around the shrine prayers are whispered touching something to make a connection and then to the dais where incense is burning and more prayers are whispered along with another donation. After this you receive something from a “Holy Man” and in this case it was a few white sweets. The whole experience is called Puja. The tree next to the shrine where Om died is bedecked in orage and yellow thread.. Coloured thread and garlands of orange and yellow marigold  represent wishes and prayers.

The Tree and me.

The shrine was moved when the road was widened. The tree remained but the bike was only moved to the other side of the tree. The spirit does not seem to have objected.