Jolly Miles

India is a nation of fables and legends. Traditions fosters them and collective belief is what keeps them alive across generations. This can manifest in ways which may appear preposterous to an outsider but for those who believe its divine. When I last visited Rajasthan in 2016, I had the good fortune of visiting the intriguing Bullet Baba temple situated on the Jodhpur-Pali expressway where the deity is a Royal Enfield Bullet. Another such fascinating temple is the Karni Mata temple at Deshnoke about 30 kilometers from Bikaner. The temple is famously home to about 20,000 rats who freely meander around the temple complex earning it the sobriquet “The temple of Rats.”

Bikaner was our pitstop for 2 days in our journey back from Jaisalmer. Bikaner is a nice little town in Rajasthan marked by the exquisite Junagadh Palace and the crunchy Bikaneri bhujia. There are a few tourist spots, most of which can be covered in a single hasty day. Bikaner is replete with delectable eateries serving kachodis, sweets and parathas and it won’t be a bad idea to visit Bikaner only for its gustatory delights. We had 2 days which allowed us the luxury to explore the popular food joints. We were staying close to the railway station so the famous Chhotu Motu Joshi was our go-to place (lassi is a must try). We also tried some exquisite Rajasthani dishes at the INDRA’s including the aloe vera curry and the local laal maans.

After arriving late in the evening at Bikaner, we found an accommodation close to the railway station and dozed off for the night. Next morning our first destination was the Karni Mata temple. There are local buses that ply from Bikaner directly to the temple (about 45 mins) or one can board any bus on the way to Deshnoke and hire an autorickshaw from the highway (where the bus drops Deshnoke passengers) to the temple.

Karni Mata is worshiped as an incarnation of Goddess Durga. During her time in the arid region, she was revered as a warrior and an ascetic. She even laid the foundation stones of the majestic Mehrangarh fort in Jodhpur. The temple has a carved marble archway with silver doors which opens into an open courtyard leading to the main temple. Rats have a ubiquitous presence inside the premises and are literally everywhere. Here rats are considered holy and are referred to as “kabbas”.

Initially walking among the rats zooming past your feet is scary but after few minutes it feels normal. What still didn’t feel normal to me was the ease with which the temple servitors mixed with the rats. I saw people cutting fruits on a large brass plate with rats nibbling pieces of it from the plate. Some rats even allowed devotees to stroke them on their backs.

We carefully walked past the rats, extremely cautious not to accidentally step on one, as we entered the sanctum. We had a fulfilling darshan of Karni Mata, sought her blessings and returned. There are many folklores associated with the temple which have been beautifully depicted through paintings in a museum in front of the temple premises.

Karni Mata temple is honestly an eerie place but as I often refer to in my posts, its places like this that give you the best stories to tell in the future. So, if you are travelling to Bikaner, make sure you give this place a try. Worst, it will scare the hell out of you and at best, you will get the blessings of Karni Mata. In either case, you will have a fascinating story to tell in the future. Hope you liked this post. Please share your views in the comments section below.