KARNI MATA TEMPLE : THE RAT TEMPLE

INTRODUCTION

This temple is located in Deshnoke, 30 kms  from Bikaner, Rajasthan.  This is famous

as Rat Temple. The rats are very sacred in this temple. There are many 1000s of rats here.
These rats are considered as holy and not as pests. It is believed that there are around 20,000
rats here. They are seen everywhere. Neither the rats nor the devotees are scared of each
other. Devotees and rats share a special bond.
 
This place is free of Plague or any other contagious diseases.  There is a popular belief
that the rats are the incarnations of dead ancestors of Charan clans and when rats die, they are
born as humans. The Karni Mata protects these rats. They are considered as the holiest rats.
Although, there are around 20000 rats here no one to this date has seen any baby rats. Any
given day, they all are of same size, shape, weight and height. There are many white rats as
well.
 
 
No other temples have these many rats anywhere. This temple is always filled with devotees.
When these rats climb on you or have your prasadam it is considered as blessings. If one kills
a rat here, one needs to replace it with a gold or silver Khaba of same size, shape, height and
weight.  When rats die, they usually produce a foul smell and this is an universal
truth, however when rats die here, they do not produce any foul smell at all. There is no
foul odor whatsoever. When a Rat dies there will be a birth in her tribe. This is beautifully
timed. This is definitely a wonder. 
 
HISTORY 
Karni Mata was born on 2nd October 1387 in Suwap, Rajasthan. She was the 7th child
of Mehoji Charan and his wife Deval Devi. Her real name was Ridhubhai. She is believed as
an incarnation of Durga. She was the goddess Bikaner and Jodhpur Kingdoms.  She had
blessed them with prosperity, peace and good health. To this date there is no outbreaks of
any epidemics in Bikaner in spite of having that many rats!   Ganga Singh Bickner built
the temple in the 15th century. The temple is heavily influenced by mogul architecture. The
entire temple is built with beautiful white marble. He also gifted a Silver door. Initially there
were no idols or temple just few footprints. However, now the temple has a sacred
sanctum, an idol where she holds a “trisul’’ and of course a lot of rats!!  

BIRTH

Shri Karni Mata was born on Friday, October 2, 1387 AD in the village near Suwap Phalodi
in Jodhpur district, Rajasthan, Ashwin Shukla Saptami 1444. She belonged to Charan caste.
Her father was Mehaji and Deval Bai was her mother. Mehaji was a staunch supporter of
Hinglaj, a Shakti Peeth (Holy Shrine) in the far west Balochistan (presently in Pakistan). Lal
Bela area, about 18 kilometers north of Arabian Sea Once for the entire night, praying to
Mother Mehaji Hinglaj that “His name will remain alive forever.” The next morning, he
heard a voice mentioning “Tathastu” (yes, it is).

Karni Mata Temple Deshnok, Bikaner Rajasthan

At birth, Karni Mata name “Ridhu Bai”. She was the sixth child of her parents. All five
children before birth to her were women. One night before her delivery, Deval Bai (Ridhu
Bais mother), dreamed that a goddess appears and blesses them with the words that the
goddess is Deval Bai are born as an incarnation of Goddess Durga. Deval Bai told her dream
for all, but all the members of her family took it easy. After the birth of Bai Ridhu that
her aunt (sister of her father) very disappointed, patting the head of Ridhu Bai with his hand
and then said with his fist: “Once a stone has come”. To the astonishment of all, her fingers
briefly got stuck today. After the birth of Bai Ridhu the economic situation of Mehaji much
improved. Later, after a few years her aunt came to her out of her in-laws’ house. One day,
her aunt was Ridhu Bai hair comb with one hand. Ridhu Bai she asked the reason for not
using the other hand. Her aunt told her the story of how her hand had overflowed. Ridhu Bai
took her broken hand in her own hand and said: “Where is the error, it’s all right”, and
surprisingly, had cured her hand in an instant. This miracle influenced and having regard to
the past, dream of Deval Bai, her aunt and then renamed it Ridhu Bai, “Karni” (you sense
something wonderful is going to do on Earth).

CHILDHOOD
If Karniji was six years old, a snake bit her father in the jungle. She put her hands on the
affected limb, and remove the poison. This way she saved the life of her father. Meanwhile,
the stories are started from the wonders of Karniji, far and wide. Rao sekha of Pugal heard of
her. He wanted to take revenge on his enemy. So he went looking for Karniji her blessings
for victory. Rao sekha met Karniji on the way, while they. Under meal for her father in the
direction of the field He asked for her blessing. Karniji greeted him and asked him to visit her
home. Sekhaji they begged forgiveness, due to lack of timeavailable and wanted to go, but
would not release the guest Karniji without the meal. She offered him food, which she took
for her father. Sekhaji knew that the food was not enough to his army serving accompanying
him. Therefore, he asked his men to accept whatever they served and not ask for more. True
to his word they sent its utensils, to be served and Karniji served the bread and the cheese
from its pot one by one for each soldier. When they went from one soldier to another, never
emptied her pot cheese and bread. See this miracle all the soldiers were amazed. Rao sekha
achieved victory over his enemy, and none of his soldiers died, with one exception, which did
not want to eat the bread and cheese you treat it as a bad omen. Karniji aunt sought their
blessings so that a son is Mehaji (Karniji father), as a result of which two sons were named
Satal Mehaji and Sarang born and a daughter named Gulab Bai.

MARRIAGE
At this time Karniji was about age and their parents were worried for her marriage. Despite
all efforts, they could not find a suitable match for Karniji. Seeing their parents worried and
troubled, Karniji himself suggested her father, the village Sathika go and talk about her
marriage to Depaji, son of Rao Kelu- a great philosopher of this area during this time.
According to the story, the marriage took place in 1416 AD, in a very simple manner. When
the wedding procession was returning from Suwap Sathika, people, horses and cattle felt
thirsty, but there was no water nearby to quench their thirst. Karniji at this time showed a
certain place behind a sand dunes for water. Everyone was amazed to see a tank full of water.
The groom went to Karniji Depaji doli (palanquin) and lifted the curtain to thank her. He was
amazed to see that inside a goddess was sitting next to a lion. After a few seconds Karniji
turned into the human body. She told her husband to marry her sister Gulab Bai, to mention
that she was born on earth, to serve only the people. On the way to Sathika there was a
village called Kaluja. The villagers already be aware of its wonders asked them to solve their
water problem. Blessed them, and asked them where their idol made of clay into the well and
dispense to fell trees. Soon it was found to be filled with water, and still exists. Today this is
known as “Shri Karnisagar”.

DEPARTURE FROM SATHIKA

Karniji they lived on-in-laws’ village for only two years. In 1418 AD, “Sathika” she left in
unnecessary disputes with the villagers. Unhappy, to another place with all the members of
her family and herd of cows she left. They decided , bearing only at the point where they
could be reached at sunset.
On their way, they saw a woman crying newlyweds Rajput. A snake had bitten her husband
and Karniji felt compassion for this woman. They granted her husband’s life. In the middle of
the journey, Karniji village reached Jangloo. There was only one well in the village and cows
of Karniji were thirsty. The servants Rao Kanha, rulers Jangloo forbade her to draw water
from the well due to scarcity. Karniji not care of their opposition and said Rao Ridmal the
Chandasar who accompanied them to draw water with the help of his horse. To the
astonishment of the whole people, water has been sufficiently drawn to meet the
requirements. Karniji there and then explained Rao Ridmal rulers of this area. She then took
her travel and it reaches from the time of sunset near the jungle of Deshnoke.

Now again a matter of dispute between Karniji and the servants Rao Kanha as the area fell
under him. Karniji there was once again no matter the opposition of his servants. The
servants complained Rao Kanha. He asked to get two of his officers to leave the jungle.
Karniji tried her best to calm the officers, but the officers during their conversation with her,
went beyond the limits of courtesy and insulted. Through its abusive behavior insulted cursed
them that their mouths will be like a jackal. Immediately face turned into that of a jackal.
They returned to Rao and after listening to the story told by his men, he thought Karniji to a
magician to be. He himself, together with his army went to her, abused her and asked her to
vacate the jungle immediately. Karniji, peaceful told him, “I have come here with the
blessings of Goddess Awad Mata. The image of the goddess is in this wooden box if the box
in my car, I want to walk away from here immediately.” All men of Rao tried both
individually and together lift the box but could not succeed. Finally Rao Kanha tried so with
the help of elephants to do but failed. During the experiments, raise the pitch one of the stalls
of the box broke. Karniji immediately noticed that Rao Kanha had its life span completed.
Rao Kanha is impaired when she Rao Ridmal explains the ruler of the area, she thought, to be
a wizard. He asked, his death predict. Karniji drew a line on the ground at a certain distance
and told him that as soon as he crosses the line and he crosses will die. In fact, Rao did not
die sooner than he crossed the border.
This box of Karni Mata, who (which Karniji revered in his lifetime) is the idol of the Goddess
Awad Mata currently in Temre Rai temple in the center of the city Deshnoke. Karniji she
made her permanent residence in the jungle near Deshnoke, at one point, which is now
known as “Nehriji”. When she started, located at Nehriji, they highlighted certain areas
around this place up to two kilometers in radius. Then planted bushes of red berries around.
This green bushes on one side served as fodder for the cattle and on the other presents fine
scenery. To the Quark churn a support Stock was required to bond with his iron ring. A rope
was required as “Zerna” that rotate the unit a long stick of wood, with three fifty-seven tine is
at its lower end to the Quark churn. This stick is called “Nedi”. To this end Karniji planted a
tree trunk to the Quark churn. This Nedi stick in the long run was the tree of Khejri since
drops Quark fell on the stick during the churning. This Khejri tree which is currently
surprising in Nehriji temple, contains the notes of curd on his bark visible while living in
Nehriji while they milk their cows a day, it saved the ship of Jagdooshaha, her devotees
through the dissemination of its Weapons. Amazingly, her arm wet with sea water that to dry,
under the bottom layer put. Currently, as a result of they have done then, the first layer of soil
Deshnoke contains salt water as seawater. In addition, they blessed the devotees with many
miracles.

 
In 1443 AD died her father Keluji. Then she went to Deshnoke where her husband died in
1454 AD Depaji. In Deshnoke they built a hut-shaped cave, by clicking on each other,
without the use of lime or sand. Stones The roof was of Zal tree wood. She used the cave for
meditation. Most of the time it was issued. In 1463 AD one of her stepsons called Laxman
Raj went to Kolayat Fair, where he drowned in a lake and died. His body was brought to
Deshnoke. His mother Gulab Bai prayed to Karniji to give his life. Karniji ordered to keep
the body in the cave. She closed his entrance for everyone and stayed there for three days. On
the fourth day Laxman Raj himself came out of the cave. Since then, the rats began known as
‘Kabas’ in Deshnoke temple to be born. There is a saying, is composed on poems by poets
from time to time that if Karniji brought Laxman Raj from Yama’s abode, they forbade Yama
role in the production of their Depawat (which falls under Charan caste) and made their own
law, the Depawat after death is like Kaba Kaba and would be born as Depawat rebirth.
Therefore, the Kabas is in Deshnoke temples are completely protected and cared for, as their
sons.
Karni Devi temple is dipped in the beauty of white marble. With its majestic
silver door grand reception to welcome all the devotees. Inside the temple
‘crown’ in his hand ‘trident’ with holding an idol of goddess Karni punishment.
There are thousands of rats around her legs. Trowel on both sides of the
goddess, her sisters sculptures. More than 20,000 rats in the temple and feed
them regularly. In the courtyard of a temple can see many rat holes. And other
birds of prey to protect these mice, the courtyard is covered with wire fences
and grills.
Karni Ji, who was in jail in Multan Rao Bhatti’s Pugal Shekha arranged her
marriage with the Doughter. The wedding procession and the bride’s father, as
was necessary in the presence of the circuit function, Karniji, in the shape of an
eagle flew to Multan Shekha brought with him to meet and function caused.

Temple “Kaaba”, known as the White Rat homes. This white rat is crossing her
legs, so is considered auspicious. Even a glimpse of the rat is considered to be a
boon for worship. Twice a year, the festival is held in honor of the goddess Karni.
Festival blessed by goddess Karni thousands of devotees from all over the world
to join in the grand fair is after.

Karni Mata Fair:

Karni Mata temple in Rajasthan‘s unique adored by residents but also by pilgrims from
various parts of the country is not respected. In time, even foreigners from various countries
visit the Karni Mata Temple. Twice a year, a grand fair “Deshnok”, a beautiful town in
Bikaner area is held at the Karni Mata. A grand fair (1 a) “Chaitra Shukla tenth” until
“Chaitra Shukla Ekam” start “Navratri” time is held between the months of March and April.
This huge fair hosts of pilgrims coming here from distant places attract between takes. 2 fair
“Navratri” during the period, which is held between the months of September and October.
The “Ashwin Shukla tenth” until “Ashwin Shukla,” is held. (Devotees gets rewarded wants)
on each occasion the Karni Mata devotees offer gold and silver.
According to legend, was born on October 2 1387. The temple is named after the Karni Mata,
he miraculously cured her aunt’s six-year-old earned honorable name trowel. A festival for
the goddess Karni is celebrated twice a year. A grand fair trowel comes from around the
world and thousands of devotees of the goddess take the blessings of the goddess, where is
held at the time.

Slowly but surely, Karni Mata Temple trust and appreciation is growing and countless
people every year to the wonderful blessings of the goddess of the temple started to travel.
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