Karni Mata Mela

Karni Mata Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Karni Mata at Deshnoke, 30 km from Bikaner, in Rajasthan, India. It is also known as the Temple of Rats.

The temple is famous for the approximately 25,000 black rats that live, and are revered, in the temple. These holy rats are called kabbas, and many people travel great distances to pay their respects. The temple draws visitors from across the country for blessings, as well as curious tourists from around the world.

The upcoming second fair will be in September–October, also during the Navratras, from Ashvin Shukla to Ashwin Shukla Dashmi.

Dates : 10/10/2019 - 19/10/2019.

The legend

Legend has it that Laxman, son of Karni mata, drowned in a pond in Kapil Sarovar in Kolayat Tehsil while he was attempting to drink from it. Karni Mata implored Yama, the god of death, to revive him. First refusing, Yama eventually relented, permitting Laxman and all of Karni Mata's male children to be reincarnated as rats.

Eating food that has been nibbled on by the rats is considered to be a "high honour".If one of them is killed, it must be replaced with another one made of solid silver.

Karni Mata Mela is a famous festival in India. It is a festival dedicated divine Karni Mata. Worshipping Karni Mata is regarded auspicious by the people of Deshnok. According to Hindu mythology, it is believed that the Goddess posses supernatural powers. The festival is predominantly celebrated in Deshnok. It is celebrated twice a year.

The Karni Mata Mela is a great attraction for tourists. The mela features a number of cultural and religious programs. On the first day of the mela, the temple opens at 4 am to offer puja to the Goddess. The statue of the Goddess is beautifully decorated with the golden crown. It is also decorated with expensive jewelries and garlands. The puja is followed by an aarti. The puja also includes offering Bhog and Prasad to the deity.Large number of tourists visit this fair as they get a close look of the rich religious traditions of the place. Moreover, the beautiful architecture of the temple is also a major draw for the tourists. Made of marble and other stones, the Karni Mata temple is a pretty sight. The statue of the deity, made of 75 cm of yellow marble, is also a beautiful sight.

The temple has around 20,000 rats in residence, who are fed by members of the extended Depavats family—there are 513 Depavats families and devotees to Karni Mata. Though most of the temple-devotees work at the temple in shifts based on the lunar cycle, some families live in the temple permanently, taking care of the rats and sweeping the floor of excrement and food crumbs.

The rats, known as “kabbas” or “little children,” are fed grains, milk, and coconuts shells from large metal bowls. Water the rats drink from is considered holy, and eating the rats’ leftovers is said to bring good fortune to those making the pilgrimage to the temple. The devotees have another reason to keep the rats safe and happy: according to the temple laws, if one of the rats is accidentally killed, it must be replaced with a rat made of silver or gold.

But there is a bittersweet note to the whole affair. All the sweet foods, the fighting between rats, and the sheer number of animals living in the temple make them prone to diseases. Stomach disorders and diabetes are extraordinarily common among the rats, and every few years a rat epidemic decimates the population. Luckily, despite the dangers to the rats themselves, there are no recorded cases of humans contracting a disease from the temple rats.

Shoes are not allowed in the temple, and it’s considered very auspicious for a rat to run over your feet, or for a visitor to glimpse an albino rat, of which there are only four or five out of the twenty thousand. To see the temple in full glory, visitors should come late at night or before sunrise, when the rats are out in full force, gathering food.