Karni Mata Temple

The temple at Deshnoke honours Karni Mata, a fifteenth-century ascetic regarded as an incarnation of Durga, and its rats, called kabas, are held to be the reincarnated souls of her devotees and are protected, fed and left entirely alone. Several thousand live in the temple, drinking from large metal dishes of milk set out for them and running over the marble floors and the feet of visitors, who must go barefoot like everyone else. A handful of white rats among the brown ones are considered especially auspicious and seeing one is held to be fortunate. The silver gates and marble facade were added in the early twentieth century.

What you actually see

• The rats - thousands living free across the temple floors and shrines.
• The milk dishes - large metal bowls the kabas drink from.
• The white rats - the few pale ones considered especially auspicious.
• The silver gates - the ornate entrance and marble facade.

When to go

October to March; Rajasthan summers are severe and the marble floor becomes hot. Early morning and evening are when the rats are most active and the temple most crowded with pilgrims.

Honest expectations

Shoes must be removed and the floor is walked barefoot among the animals and their droppings; this genuinely upsets some visitors. Stepping on a rat is considered a serious offence. Photography is charged.

Nearby

Bikaner and Junagarh Fort lie north.