Shri Khatushyam’s birth anniversary 

Shri Khatushyam’s birth anniversary is celebrated with great pomp every year on Dev Uthani Ekadashi of Kartik Shukla Paksha. In 2023 it is Thursday, November 23. Bathing of Shri Shyam Baba: By the Shri Shyam Mandir Committee, Baba Shyam is bathed with the perfume of the soul and Baba Shyam is decorated with garlands made of various types of flowers including rose, champa, jasmine. Devotees offer mawa cake to Babashyam. The temple is decorated with colorful balloons and Baba’s birthday is celebrated with great joy and pomp. There is a lot of enthusiasm among the devotees regarding the birthday of Babashyam in Khatunagari. Mawa Mishri cakes are ready in the market. To please Shyambhakt Baba, he offers various types of cakes and chocolates to him

Birth anniversary of Shri Khatushyam ji – Shyam Janmotsav 2023

During Shyam Janmotsav, lakhs of devotees come to the court of Shyam Baba to mark their presence. Lakhs of devotees reach Khatu to celebrate the birthday of their deity and participate in the two-day monthly fair. To celebrate the birthday of Shyam Baba, Shyam devotees from all over the country will gather at Khatudham on Devuthani Ekadashi which is on 23rd November, Thursday. All the devotees of Shyam have been eagerly waiting for this day for many days. This is the second largest fair organized in Shyam Darbar after the Phalgun Fair. On the occasion of his birth, devotees congratulate Baba Shyam on his birthday by offering various types of cakes. Many Shyam devotees walk on foot and some migrate on their stomachs and bow their heads in Baba’s court. Such devotees also come to the court, whose lap is empty. Those who offer flute, toys and mortar to Baba and make a wish to take him in his lap. Many tie coconuts and pray for the happiness and prosperity of their families.

Decoration of Khatushyam Temple
Shri Shyam Mandir Committee uses flowers from Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan and special artisans are called from Vrindavan to decorate the temple on Shyam Janmotsav. Banke Bihari decorators who came from Vrindavan decorate the temple with marigold, rose, kund, bella, lily, guldavari and English flowers like orket, jarvara, anthenium, carnesum flowers. Apart from this, tableaux of Laddoo Gopal and Murlidhar Kanhaiya are also decorated at the lion gate of Baba Shyam temple on Shyam Janmotsav. Devotees will have darshan of him at the entry of the temple before Shyam Darshan. The chief artisan, thirty skilled Bengali artisans, has decorated the entire temple with many types of figures by applying golden cloth on bamboo tiles, a flute, a toy of a kulari filled with butter, colorful cloth on pipe-like foam.

Dharamshalas and hotels of Khatushyam

Dharamshalas and hotels get full on the evening of Dashami itself with lakhs of Shyam devotees coming from all over the country and abroad. Actually, there are many Dharamshalas and hotels in Khatudham. Despite this, it becomes full on the occasion of birth anniversary. All the dharamshalas and hotels have been booked almost two months in advance. Among these, the major Dharamshalas are Shri Shyam Mitra Mandal Kolkata, Panchayati Rest House, New Hyderabad Dharamshala, Shridham Dharamshala, Hotel Shyam, Hotel Kavita, Hotel Shyam Sarkar, Kanha Guest House and Shri Shyam Sakshi Guest House etc.

Famous singer and artist – Shyam Kirtan

On the night of Ekadashi, devotees in many Dharamshalas including Shri Shyam Mandir premises celebrate Baba’s birthday by lighting the lamp of Shyam Baba and cutting a cake. In these Dharamshalas, bhajan kirtan is organized throughout the night. In which many famous singers including Lakhbir Singh Lakkha, Nanduji Maharaj, Uma Lahiri, Mukesh Bagra, Amanat Ali present the melodious bhajans of Baba Shyam.

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Why is Devuthani’s birthday celebrated only?

Being very pleased with the great sacrifice of Barbarik (Khatu Shyam), Shri Krishna gave a boon to Barbarik that in Kaliyuga you will be known by the name Shyam. After granting the boon, his head was buried in Khatu Nagar (present-day Sikar district of Rajasthan state), hence he is called Khatu Shyam Baba. It is believed that a cow came to that place and was spontaneously releasing milk from her breasts every day. Later, when the place was excavated, the head was found there, which was handed over to a Brahmin for a few days. Once the king of Khatu city was inspired in a dream to build a temple and to adorn that head in the temple. So a temple was built at that place and on the Ekadashi of Kartik month the head was decorated in the temple. That is why the birthday of Shri Khatushyam ji is always celebrated on Devuthani Ekadashi.

|| Hearty congratulations on your birthday, my Khatuwale Shyam ||

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