The mysterious temple of rats in Rajasthan

The temple is dedicated to Maa Karni Devi (Miraculous Mother) who is regarded as the incarnation of Maa Durga

Two marble lions on each side of the entrance

One can select a variety of offerings that one can offer at the temple

Front facade of the temple made up of white marble

If any rat is killed accidentally, it must be replaced with a rat of gold or silver of same weight and height

Beautiful silver windows of the Karni Mata Temple

The detailed carvings on the gates are remarkable floral motifs, fauna and sculpture of the goddess

Carvings of Kabas and some instructions at the gate can be seen

A strange but true fact about the temple is that not a single case of plague has been reported in Deshnok town ever since it was constructed

A giant silver gate welcoming the pilgrims

Rats don’t leave the temple even though they all are free to do so

It is believed that these rats carry the souls of the ancestors and when a rat dies they will be reincarnated as humans

Worshippers not only come to worship the rats, but to also heal their ailments

Religious food offerings (Prasad) that have been tasted or left over by the rats are later offered to the pilgrims

Rats on spree, dining and crawling together

Locals can give you a detailed history of the temple

The rodents are friendly and can be seen with pigeons too

Visitors from all over the world love to visit the mysterious Karni Mata Temple

Pilgrims make regular trips to Deshnok to worship these sacred rodents

Spotting a Kaba (white rat) in the temple premises is considered to be a sign of good luck

Bikaner offers notable cultural sites and religious landmarks within the city and on the outskirts. One such fascinating site is the Karni Mata Temple located just about 30kms away from Bikaner, in the north Indian state of Rajasthan that attracts thousands of pilgrims from across the globe to witness a very unique culture of worshipping rats. Freaky isn’t it?

Mysteriously seen, everywhere in the temple of Karni Mata are long-tailed rodents.  The entire place can be seen sheltered with rats or Kabas as they are called in the local language. The Karni Devi Temple houses around 20,000 rats that are considered to be sacred and are fed and worshipped by the worshippers.  The temple is not so ancient and was built by Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner in 20th century.

While entering the temple one has to be barefooted or move on tippy-toes because of the rats, and you have to be very much careful not to step on them. They may be seen on the doors, windows, peeping through the holes, flitting around the whole premises of the temple these rodents are actually auspicious.