The Karni Mata Temple, also known as the “Temple of Rats,” is a renowned religious site located in Deshnoke, around 30 kilometres from Bikaner in Rajasthan, India. This temple is widely recognized across India for its population of around 20,000 black rats that are revered by devotees. These rats, known as “kabbas,” are considered sacred, attracting numerous visitors who come from distant places to pay their respects and seek blessings.
The temple, built in the Mughal architectural style, features a stunning marble facade adorned with intricately designed silver doors crafted by Maharaja Ganga Singh. These doors depict various legends of the goddess, adding to the temple’s allure. Inside the temple, the shrine of the goddess Karni Mata is located in the inner sanctum.
In 1999, the temple underwent further embellishment and enhancement by Kundanlal Verma, a jeweler from Hyderabad. He contributed marble carvings and silver rat sculptures, enhancing the temple’s beauty and grandeur. The Karni Mata Temple continues to attract a large number of curious tourists and devout pilgrims due to its unique association with the revered rats and its exquisite architectural features.
👉 History of the attraction
According to legend, the Rat Temple near Bikaner traces its roots to the 1400s when Karni Mata, an incarnation of the goddess Durga, beseeched the death-god Yoma to reincarnate the son of a sorrowful storyteller. When Yoma declined, Karni Mata vowed that all male storytellers from the Charan caste would be reborn as rats in her temple. Upon their rat deaths, they would then be reincarnated as members of the Depavats family, Karni Mata’s descendants.
While rat worship in India has ancient origins, dating back to the 15th century, the present temple was constructed in the early 1900s. It features intricate marble panels and solid silver carvings dedicated to honoring Karni Mata and her furry, reborn followers.
The temple houses approximately 20,000 rats, cared for by members of the extensive Depavats family, which includes 513 families and Karni Mata devotees. Most devotees work at the temple in rotational shifts according to the lunar cycle, while some families reside permanently within the temple premises. Their duties include tending to the rats and maintaining cleanliness by sweeping away excrement and food debris.
👉 Getting there
Reaching the temple is not at all difficult because the city is very well connected with every kind of transportation. Buses, trains and taxis are easily available and the road towards the temple is quite comfortable and accessible.
👉 Things to do in and around
There are a lot of things to do in this famous temple of Karni Mata:
Partaking in the ritual of offering Prasad to the revered rats for blessings, attending the daily puja ceremonies, joining the renowned and grand Karni Mata fair held biannually, presenting bhog and prayers to Karni Mata at dawn, exploring the temple’s captivating architecture and interiors during a sightseeing tour, and experiencing the divine ambiance of the temple.
👉 Opening & closing timing and days
The temple opens its doors to the public at 4:00 AM, hosting pujas and aartis that draw in many devotees. It closes at 10:00 PM.
👉 Entry fees
No entry fee required to enter the temple.
👉 Best time to visit
The ideal time to visit the temple is during its fair and festival. However, visitors are welcome at any time to offer bhog, prayers to the goddess, and seek her blessings.
The Karni Mata Fair takes place biannually in Deshnoke. The first and larger fair occurs during the Navratras from Chaitra Shukla Ekam to Chaitra Shukla Dashmi in March-April. The second fair happens in September-October, also during the Navratras, from Ashvin Shukla to Ashwin Shukla Dashmi.
👉 Konw before go
Visitors are reminded to leave their shoes outside the temple, and it is considered highly auspicious if a rat crosses one’s feet or if visitors catch a glimpse of the rare albino rats, numbering only four or five among the twenty thousand.
For the best experience of the temple, it is recommended to visit late at night or before sunrise when the rats are actively engaged in gathering food, showcasing the temple in its full glory.
The rats, known affectionately as “kabbas” or “little children,” are nourished with grains, milk, and coconut shells placed in large metal bowls. The water they drink is considered sacred, and consuming the remnants of their meals is believed to bring good fortune to pilgrims visiting the temple. Devotees are motivated to ensure the rats’ well-being because, as per temple rules, if a rat is accidentally harmed, it must be replaced with one made of silver or gold.
However, there is a bittersweet aspect to this tradition. The abundance of sweet foods, interspecies skirmishes, and the sheer number of rats living in the temple make them susceptible to diseases. Stomach ailments and diabetes are prevalent among them, leading to occasional population declines due to epidemics. Fortunately, despite these risks to the rats, there have been no reported instances of humans contracting diseases from them.
It’s important to note that only the rats within the temple walls are believed to be reincarnated and thus considered sacred. Rats outside the temple are simply ordinary rats.
