The Legend Of Om Banna And His Royal Enfield Bullet 350

The Royal Enfield Bullet 350 is a cult – a motorcycle that shaped India’s booming two-wheeled culture and made Royal Enfield a household name. Despite the onslaught of lifestyle-centric models like the Continental GT 650 and the Himalayan 450, the Bullet remains an icon. The 1984 advertisement from Enfield, titled “Bullet Meri Jaan” sums up the motorcycle’s spirit in the best way.

However, nothing defines the Bullet 350’s spirit better than a real-life spirit from a Rajasthani village. This is the story of Om Banna and his surreal Bullet 350. 

Based on what we hear from the locals, this particular Bullet 350 was enchanted by the spirits of its demised owner and hence, was given its own temple. The folklore of ‘Bullet Baba’ not only entices religious sentiments but also gives the motorcycling community in India their God. Sorry Sid Lal, your time hasn’t come yet. 

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Who is Bullet Baba?

The legend of Bullet Baba involves a lot of controversial myths and beliefs that could make most of you question. Hence, bear with us as we take you through this mind-boggling story. 

The story involves a young Om Singh Rathore (Banna) from the Chotila village in Rajasthan. While returning home on his 1980s Royal Enfield Bullet 350 in 1988, he lost control of his motorcycle and crashed into a tree. Unfortunately, Rathore succumbed to the injuries on the accident spot and all that remained was his prized Bullet 350. 

Once the police reached the crime scene, they recovered the motorcycle and parked it at the local police station for further enquiry. The motorcycle, however, went missing the next morning and after a thorough search was ordered in the area, the police discovered the motorcycle at the accident site. Considering it as a theft attempt, the vehicle was recovered and sent back to the police station. Miraculously, the incident repeated the next morning as the motorcycle was found abandoned at the same accident spot. 

Considering it an act of mischief by the locals, the police drained the fuel tank and secured it with chains within the police station’s parking lot. Surprisingly, the motorcycle was missing again the next morning and as was the ritual, it was spotted at the accident site. Multiple attempts to secure the recovered motorcycle were made over the following days but Om Singh Rathore’s Bullet 350 couldn’t be withheld. 

Legend has it that police personnel went on a monitoring spree for the entire night and found the motorcycle kicking back to life and driving out on its own to the accident spot! Spooky, isn’t it?

By this time, the news reached the village locals and, as is the case with the Indian society, a co-relation to divine intervention was made. Om Singh Rathore’s father came to know about the situation and created a temple for the spirited motorcycle. Initially parked next to the tree that claimed the rider’s life, the ‘divine’ Bullet 350 was eventually enclosed in a glass case and worshipped daily with garlands. The motorcycle was eventually christened the ‘Bullet Baba’. 

Om Singh Rathore, or Om Banna’s shrine now attracts devotees daily and requires visitors to worship the spirit with sweets, incense sticks and alcohol. It is believed that visiting the ‘Bullet Baba’ shrine not only bestows blessings but his spirit ensures a safe journey onwards. 

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What does Bullet Baba teach us?

While we aren’t in a position to question the diving sentiments of the locals, the legend of Bullet Baba teaches us a thing or two about safe riding. 

Back in the 1980s, riding gear wasn’t a requisite for two-wheeler riders and hence, something as basic as a helmet was seen as an option. Had Om Singh Rathore worn a helmet, he could have survived to share his experience with the world (we wouldn’t have gotten ‘Bullet Baba’ though).

Hence, whether you are commuting within city limits or hitting the highways on the weekends, we highly recommend wearing basic protective gear like ECE 22.06 helmets, gloves with some sort of armour protection, specialist riding boots and a riding jacket (if possible). A layer of protective riding gear goes a long way in shielding you from extreme damage in the unfortunate event of an accident. 

However, wearing riding gear doesn’t give any of us the license to ride unlawfully and puts all other motorists at risk. Regardless of the performance potential of your motorcycle, it is your responsibility to follow traffic rules and keep yourself as well as your fellow motorists safe. 

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What about the Bullet?

As for the Bullet 350, the legend of Bullet Baba reinforces faith in the reliability of the motorcycle. The current generation Bullet 350 is based on Royal Enfield’s J-series platform and adopts a lot of components from the Classic 350. Making 20 hp of peak power and 27 Nm of peak torque, the Bullet 350 delivers an old-school motorcycling experience prioritising low-end torque and a softer suspension tuning, thus resulting in a stable ride quality.

While the latest iteration of the Bullet 350 had a striking resemblance with the Classic 350, Royal Enfield added a new variant for old-time fans of the motorcycle. Called the Battalion Black, this variant offers a glossy black paint scheme with hand-painted stripes on the tank, a scooped seat with greater pillion foam and the old-school rectangular taillamp assembly. 

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