There is a place in the world where rodents are loved by people to the point of having a sacred shrine exclusively about them actually determined as Karni Mata Temple. However, this shrine was built in honor of a female scholar of the 14th century, so this place is located in Deshnoke, 30 km from Bikaner, Rajasthan.
The rodents in this place are considered sacred and are referred to as "kabbas" or "little children". They are cared for by members of the Depavats family, who mention that around 25,000 rodents which are considered descendants of Karni Mata, are worshipped in the temple, attracting the attention of many people around the world and thus becoming a popular temple.
It is important to note that many of the family members work in shifts, but some of them stay here permanently to take care of the rodents and regularly clean their droppings and leftover food. Not to mention that as food they offer milk, grains, sweets, coconuts and other offerings from the devotees.
In India it is a tradition to take off your shoes before entering a shrine, so it is considered auspicious if a rat runs over your feet. Also if you see an albino rodent it is considered a great luck, so visiting this great place will be a very different experience and more when they are only active during morning and late evening hours when they are hungrier. In fact, this temple has as a law that when one of them dies accidentally it must be replaced by a silver or gold one, since they are the only ones considered reincarnated, while the ones in the streets are considered normal rodents.
Like every place there is a story that will answer the doubts as to why these rodents are considered sacred. This great legend dates back to the 14th century when Karni Mata, an incarnation of the goddess Durga, lost her son, so she asked Yama, a Hindu god of death, to give her son back to her alive, but unfortunately her requests were denied.
An exception happened, as she asked to be reincarnated as a rodent along with other male members of the Depavats family, so Yama accepted that one request.
It is really a very summarized story, but it goes straight to the point, because the temple itself tells its own story in a phenomenal way. Not to mention that this shrine was built by Maharaja Ganga Singh in the early 20th century with marble. This lujar resembles the Mughal style in its design, having some silver doors depicting legends of the Goddess.
This place is amazing, rich in history and culture. However, it is impossible to leave aside the sacred rodents of this great temple calling very easily my attention, because an immense country like India hides many curious and incomparable tourist places. How fantastic!
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