The Rat worshipping temple in India

Places of worship, especially Indian temples have always fascinated travelers and tourists. It’s not just the ancient architecture which draws us to the temples but also the beliefs and the myths that surround them.

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One such unique Indian temple which beguiled us is the Karni Mata Temple which located around 30 km from Bikaner in a small town of Deshnoke in Rajasthan. This 600-year-old temple is also popularly known as the Nari Mata Temple or 'Rat Temple'.

What is unique about this temple is the fact that 25,000 black rats live, and are worshipped, in the temple. In fact, the food that is eaten by them is considered to be holy and is later served as 'prasad'.

People from all over the world travel great distances to come and visit the temple to pay their respects to these holy rats, which are known as kabbas. Besides this unique feature, the temple architecture is also appealing. Numerous tales and legends are associated with the temple and the rats that live here, but no one knows the exact history of this unique shrine.