Khatu Baba’s Lakhi Fair Concludes, Temple Darshan to Remain Closed for 43 Hours

Sikar (Rajasthan) : The annual Falguni Lakhi Fair at Khatu Shyamji concluded on Tuesday, coinciding with Dwadashi, after the offering of Bhog Aarti and Nishan (flags) to Baba Shyam. Following the fair’s conclusion, the temple committee has announced that special rituals and worship will be performed inside the temple.

As a result, darshan (public viewing of the deity) will remain closed for 43 hours.

Temple committee minister Shyam Singh Chauhan issued an order stating that on March 14, special prayers and services will be held for Shyam Prabhu on the occasion of Holi, followed by the Tilak ceremony on March 15. Consequently, darshan will be suspended from March 13 at 10 PM until March 15 at 5 PM. It is a temple tradition to conduct special worship, services, and the tilak ceremony after every Amavasya (new moon) and on major festivals like Holi and Diwali.

As part of the Dwadashi rituals on Tuesday, Baba Shyam was offered the traditional Khichdi and Churma, and a Chhappan Bhog (offering of 56 food items) was presented. After the Bhog Aarti, the Shri Shyam Temple Committee officially declared the fair’s conclusion. With this, many devotees started returning home, while thousands of Shyam Bhakts (devotees) have decided to stay in Shyam Nagri to celebrate Holi with Baba Shyam before departing.

Temple manager Santosh Sharma stated that this year’s Lakhi Fair saw the participation of around 20 lakh (2 million) devotees from across the country. In contrast, last year (2024), approximately 30 lakh (3 million) devotees attended, as per the temple committee’s estimates. This means that the number of devotees visiting the fair this year was 10 lakh (1 million) fewer than last year.