Rat Temple at Deshnok

Just come back from the famous Karni Mata Temple at Deshnok.

One of the things I love to do in any new town is to travel by the local bus at least once. I get a chance to interact with a lot of people to know the right bus stop and the right bus to board. And once inside the bus, I listen to the local dialect and generally observe the local habits.

Deshnok is about 30 kms from Bikaner on NH89 to Jodhpur. Plenty of buses run between Bikaner and Deshnok. Reached Deshnok comfortably inside 40 minutes. The fare was Rs20. The temple is just couple of minutes walk from the bus stop. There is a camera fee of Rs20, but nobody to collect it. There is an unmanned footwear stand opposite the temple.

The temple has an imposing gateway with silver gates befitting a palace. And inside those silver gates, there are rats everywhere. I have heard and read about these rats, but seeing so many of them with my own eyes was an incredible experience. Rats can be found even inside the sanctum of the temple.

The rodents are continuously eating, but despite that they looked very unhealthy, rather emaciated. There was a buzz of excitement, when a white rat, a rarity, was suddenly spotted. Rat running over your foot is considered as a sign of good luck, but no such thing happened to me even after getting close to them for taking pictures. I suppose I wasn’t lucky enough. People and rats happily co-exist inside the temple.

Opposite the temple there is a small museum that pictorially depicts the many miracles believed to have been wrought by Karni, a quasi-divine lady ascetic who lived in 15^th Century.

I have mixed feelings after my visit to Deshnok Temple. Perhaps we make an error in examining myths and legends through an inappropriate prism.