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Karni Mata Temple & The Rat
Karni Mata Temple, 30 miles south of Bikaner in Deshnoke, is one of the strangest holy spots in India. We left Bikaner and were on route to Jodhpur when Bela asked us if we wanted to stop at the "Rat Temple" which was on our way. We had read about the temple in our guide books and the thought of rats running around made us a little squeamish. However, we agreed to stop and found the rats quite small and harmless.
The Karni Mata Temple was built by Maharaja Ganga Singh in the early 20th century in the late Mughal style. The entrance, pictured here, is lavishly decorated with beautifully sculptured marble panelling full of intricate patterns, and delicately worked doorways, colonnades, pavilions and balconies.
The resident diety is Karni Mata, a mystic who lived in the 15th century and who is considered an incarnation of Durga. She was the daughter of a 16th century Charan who married at 27. After her marriage dissolved, she became a sanyasinand devoted her life to the service of the poor. She was patronized by the Rathore clan of