Khatu Shyam (खाटू श्याम)

Khatu Shyam (खाटू श्याम) is a North Indian devotional deity associated with the Mahabharata hero Barbarika and worshipped as Shyam in Rajasthan. Devotional and narrative traditions especially associate this figure with faith, sacrifice, fulfilment of vows, devotion and protection. Common iconography may include crowned head image, peacock feather, flowers and Khatu shrine setting. Important related names include Shyam Baba, Barbarika. The exact stories, ritual customs and visual details can differ by text, region and lineage, so descriptions should distinguish widely shared tradition from local interpretation. For a Madhuma reference page, the strongest people-first angle is to explain who Khatu Shyam is, the major stories and symbols, how worship differs across India, important festivals or pilgrimage contexts, and respectful modern practice without presenting devotional belief as historical fact.