Karni Mata Temple

The Karni Mata Temple in Deshnoke is a prominent Hindu temple dedicated to the warrior sage Karni Mata, an incarnation of Goddess Durga. Located 30 kilometers south of Bikaner, it is renowned globally as the Rat Temple due to the presence of over 20,000 sacred rats known as kabbas. These rodents are believed to be reincarnated family members of the goddess and are treated with utmost reverence by devotees.

Visitors can expect to see thousands of rats freely roaming throughout the temple complex, including the main hall, kitchen areas, and courtyards. Devotees offer milk, sweets, and grains to these sacred animals, and eating food nibbled by them is considered auspicious. The temple features intricate marble carvings and silver doors, with a distinct atmosphere of devotion mixed with curiosity from international tourists.

Originally constituted around 1530 after the mahaprayan of Karni Mata, the temple was expanded over centuries. The current structure was completed in the early 20th century in Rajput style by Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner, featuring solid silver doors.

The temple is the most important pilgrimage site for Charani sagatis and holds unique cultural beliefs regarding reincarnation into rats. It represents a distinctive form of Hindu animal worship where the rats are protected and fed as kin.