The Incredible "Rat Temple" in Rajasthan, India
The Incredible "Rat Temple" in Rajasthan, India i.e Karni Mata Temple (करणी माता मंदिर) is a famous Hindu Temple which is one of the faces of Goddess Durga. It is located at Deshnoke which is 30 km from Bikaner, in Rajasthan, India. It is famously known as the Temple of Rats. The temple is famous for the approximately 25,000 Black Rats that live in the temple. These holy rats are respectively called “KAABA” by the local people, and many people from the country and around the world travel great distances to pay their respects to the Goddess. I myself belong to the same village Deshnoke, so I visit this Temple on a regular basis when I am there. The Goddess Karni Mata was a part of the “Charan” clan in her lifetime. She is believed to live 150 years. The followers of the Karni Mata believes that once they die, they will be reincarnated as a rat and subsequently when a rat dies, it will be reincarnated as a human again and so the cycle continues.