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Karni Mata Temple, Deshnok
Karni Mata · The Rat Temple · Rajasthan
॥ जय करणी माता ॥
At Deshnok near Bikaner, the Karni Mata Temple is famous as the Rat Temple, home to some twenty-five thousand holy rats, the kabas, revered as reincarnated souls of the goddess’s clan. Karni Mata, a sage-goddess of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries held to be an incarnation of Durga, is the kuladevi of the Rathore rulers of Bikaner and Jodhpur. Her shrine carries a marble façade and silver doors gifted by the Maharajas.
The kabas, the holy rats of Deshnok
The temple is best known for the thousands of rats, called kabas, that live within it and are fed and protected as part of the worship. Tradition holds them to be the reincarnated souls of Karni Mata’s clan, who are said to be reborn as these creatures and then again as humans. Pilgrims move barefoot among them, and to glimpse a rare white rat is considered especially auspicious.
Food offered to the goddess and shared by the kabas becomes prasad, and devotees take it without hesitation. The intimacy between worshippers and the rats is the feature that has made Deshnok known far beyond Rajasthan, though for pilgrims it is the presence of the goddess that matters most.
Karni Mata, kuladevi of the Rathores
Karni Mata lived in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and is revered as an incarnation of Durga and a worker of miracles. She became the kuladevi, the clan goddess, of the Rathore rulers of Bikaner and Jodhpur, and tradition links her to the founding of the Bikaner kingdom. Her standing among the royal houses of Rajasthan gave her temple at Deshnok lasting patronage and importance.
Marble façade and silver doors
The shrine’s marble façade and the silver doors at its entrance were gifts of the Maharajas, marks of the royal devotion the goddess commanded. The carved silverwork at the threshold, set against the white marble, gives the temple its distinctive face. Navaratri fairs are the main festival occasions, when large numbers of pilgrims gather at Deshnok.
How to reach Karni Mata Temple
- By road: Deshnok lies about 30 km south of Bikaner on the Bikaner–Jodhpur road; buses and taxis run frequently from Bikaner.
- By train: Deshnok has its own railway station, and Bikaner Junction is the nearest major railhead.
- By air: Bikaner has an airport, with Jodhpur airport a larger alternative for onward road travel to Deshnok.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called the Rat Temple?
The temple is home to about twenty-five thousand holy rats, the kabas, which are revered and protected, giving it its popular name.
What do the rats represent?
They are held to be the reincarnated souls of Karni Mata’s clan, who are said to be reborn as kabas and later again as humans.
Why is a white rat considered special?
Seeing one of the rare white rats among the thousands is regarded as especially auspicious by devotees.
Who was Karni Mata?
She was a fourteenth- to fifteenth-century sage-goddess, revered as an incarnation of Durga and the kuladevi of the Rathore rulers of Bikaner and Jodhpur.
What did the Maharajas contribute?
The temple’s marble façade and the silver doors at its entrance were gifts of the Maharajas, reflecting royal devotion to the goddess.
How do I reach Deshnok?
Deshnok is about 30 km south of Bikaner with its own railway station; Bikaner is the nearest major rail and air gateway.
॥ जय करणी माता ॥ • Bhaktiras.net Temple Guide
| Popular name | The Rat Temple |
| Holy rats | ~25,000 kabas |
| Goddess | Karni Mata (incarnation of Durga) |
| Patrons | Rathore rulers of Bikaner and Jodhpur |
| State | Rajasthan |
| Festival | Navaratri fairs |