Karni Mata Temple

Deshnoke is a small town in the Bikaner district of Rajasthan, India, near the Pakistan border and about 30 km from Bikaner.Deshnoke is famous for its 600 year old Karni Mata Temple, where rats are worshiped. The goddess Karni Mata has been worshiped by the royal family as well as the general public of Bikaner and other parts of Rajasthan since long ago.

ABOUT THE TEMPLE:

The Karni Mata Temple at Deshnoke, 30 km from Bikaner, India, is one of the strangest temples in the world. The temple is home to over 20,000 rats, that not only live and dine within the temple premises but are actually worshipped by devotes who throng the temple in great numbers. These holy animals are called “kabbas”, and many people travel long distances to pay their respects.

The rats are absolutely everywhere, from the door handles to the grills to the ledges around the side of the marble constructs. They can be seen in dozens crowded around pots of milk, coconut shells and various other foodstuffs that are scattered across the temple.