Karni Mata Temple, Deshnoke

The Karni Mata Temple stands at Deshnoke, about 30 km from Bikaner, and is dedicated to Karni Mata, a 14th-century woman of the Charan community revered as a form of Durga. It is famous for the more than 25,000 rats that live inside, called kabbas, which are treated as holy and are thought to guard the shrine and bring blessings. The present temple, with its carved entrances, was raised by Maharaja Ganga Singh in the early 20th century.

According to legend, when a boy of her clan died, Karni Mata pleaded with Yama, the god of death, for his life. The pact she made meant that members of her clan would return as rats and be reborn as people afterwards. Pilgrims come from far away, and seeing the rats run over the floor and eat from food offerings is considered lucky. Wire netting protects them from birds of prey.