Rats

If there is one key to travel in India it lies in the art of letting go. Those grizzled veterans of the sub-continent are all too quick to let an India neophyte know that it is a waste of time and energy to be thrown off by the plethora of Gods and what some might call odd religious traditions. And it is good advice.

However, about 30 kilometers south of Bikaner in a town called Deshnok is one place that even the most open minded must admit is a little bizarre. The Karni Mata Temple, better known as the Rat Temple, is a rather unique departure from the Shiva linga and Nog symbols that decorate most Hindu sights.

On entrance it is easy to forget what it is that brought you to there in the first place. Eyes drift upward to the arched doorways, only return back down to inspect the marble floors. Not so suddenly the focus switches to the dozens of small brown spots scurrying across the floor. The sight is a little bit of a shock but considering the name Rat Temple, you can be grateful to know, at least they are just mice.

The divine rodents that are known as Kabas run across the floors, hide in corners, and pop out of every available nook and cranny. Bowls of milk attract dozens of the creatures that sip furiously from the dish until the pilgrims who have come to pay their respects replenish it. At the main shrine the rodents crawl over Brahmin priests who take donations of cash and flowers from the faithful.

According to legend and Lonely Planet the rodents were the product of a clash between an incarnation of the Hindu god Durga, and Yama, the god of the death. Durga requested Yama to restore life to the dead son of a grieving storyteller. When Yama declined, Durga responded by reincarnating all storytellers as rats. This was a blow to Yama as it deprived him of human souls. It seems like the storytellers really got the rough end of that one.

Today the temple is part pilgrimage sight and part tourist attraction. Outside of the temple you find all the trappings of an Indian tourist venue. Chai vendors and snack stands line the area and auto-rickshaw drivers wait by the dozen for business.




Inside, it is a spacious walled off square with a wire roof that keeps out birds. In the middle of the enclosure is a building that houses the main shrine. Along another wall is a medal fence that cordons off an area that is strictly for the animals. Cast iron cauldrons that look like they were once used for cooking in institutions that catered to witches decorate the dirt-floored section. Pilgrims line up right to the gate, tossing bits of food and looking for the white rat that is a sign of good luck for those who see it.

The small brown creatures are not menacing like other phobia inspiring animals such as the snake. However, for the Western world that was taught about their roll in the spread of the black plague the sight can be unnerving. While some of the animals appear healthy others have open wounds that ooze blood.

As is custom in most temples shoes are taken off at the door and it is not uncommon for mice to run across a visitors feet. Indeed it is considered to be a sign of good luck. When it does happen though it seems like the same type of good luck that comes after a bird has left its last meal on the top of your head. As in if there were any good luck to be had, the entire incident would have been avoided.

It is easy to imagine that this is no place for the skittish. What’s more is that this place can be hard even on the not so skittish. While it does seem possible for a person to be able to come to peace with the animals, Karni Mata lacks the overwhelming sensation of spirituality found in other places, like the burning ghats in Varansi, which rely on a severe departure from the familiar for their appeal. It is hard, and maybe for a good reason, to climb the health hurtle while bleeding rodents stamp over your bare feet. Regardless, the sight is one that warrants a trip from in (the exceedingly dull) Bikaner and is shore to test ones open mindedness.