karni mata Temple

Karni Mata Temple is a famous  temple dedicated to karni mata. It is also known as the Temple of Rats.

The temple is famous for  36,000  rats that live  in, the temple. These  rats are called kabbas, and many people travel great distances to see that how the people giving the respect to the rat which is ment as a dirty animals. The temple draws visitors from across the country for blessings, as well as curious tourists from around the world.most of the tourist come here to see the 36,000 rats .

BIOGRAPHY  and story OF KARNI MATA-   Karni mata was BORN ON 2 October 1387  and died on23 March 1538, was a female hindu women born in the charan caste. She is worshiped as the avtaar of  durga by her followers 

        In 1453, she gave her blessing to Rao Jodha of Jodhpur . and In 1457 she went to Jodhpur at Rao Jodha's request, to lay the cornerstone of the fort at Jodhpur.

Her first temple was constructed in the village of mathania during her lifetime by her follower Amara Charan. In 1472, she arranged the marriage of Rao Bika, the son of Rao Jodha, and Rang Kunwar, daughter of Rao Shekha of Pungal, . In 1485, she laid the foundation stone of the fort of Bikaner at the request of Rao Bika. In 1538, Karniji went to visit the Maharaja of Jaisalmer. On 21 March of that year she was travelling back to Deshnok with her bhanja and a few other followers. 

                         Legend has it that Laxman, karni mata bhanja , drowned in a pond in Kapil Sarovar  while he was attempting to drink from it. karni mata implored Yam, the god of death, to revive him. First refusing, Yam eventually relented, permitting Laxman and all of Karni mata's male children to be reincarnated as rats.   
  from there there is a tradition started to give a respect to a rat

devotee eating the  food which has been nebled  by the rats is considered to be a "high honor". If one of them is killed, it must be replaced with one made of solid gold.
                             

Marble carvings at The Temple.

                                                 white rats

            sharing prasad with a rats

architecture of the temple- The building was completed in its current form in the early 20th century by raja ganga singh of Bikaner.

In front of the temple is a beautiful marble facade, which has solid silver doors built by raja Ganga Singh. Across the doorway are more silver doors with panels depicting the various legends of the Goddess. 

importence to the white rat-       out of the many rats.there are few white rat in a temple. they are beleaved as a avtar of a karni mata and her four sons.so they were given more importence then a black rat.