The temple owned by rat; a real story

Suddenly hearing about rat, the picture that comes in our mind is a harming coward creature which runs away, by seeing us. But a visit to the Karni Mata temple will turn our entire picture about the rats upside down, because this is the temple owned by rats.

About Karni Mata temple
Karni Mata temple is the holiest and faithful place in India situated the state of Rajastan. The temple is constructed in the centre of a beautiful courtyard. The place of the temple knows Deshnok, a small village. This town is 32 km south from the Bikaner city. It is connected by national highway and rail. The outer wall of temple has been designed like a beautiful wall fort. The boundaries are built very high with four ornamented pillars and the provision of a huge platform for the guards to protect the miraculous temple.

Kabas
The rats, knows in the name Kaba’s are the king of the temple. Getting inside we will see a number of rats roaming comfortably and freely inside the temple. At the present situation of the world rats are scaring animal for man, which spreads serious diseases. But in this temple the creatures don’t disturb any devotees, they plays inside it without harming anybody. According to the faith of this temple, sitting rats on the lap, shoulders, head, hands of devotees are consider to be the blessing of the Goddess.

There is an interesting story behind the incarnation of rat. The folklore says that the power of the temple Karni Mata (represents the Goddess Durga) brings back a dead child of her devotee from Yama (the god of Death). After this incident, the Goddess announced that no one from her tribe would fall into Yama’s hand again, instead, when they died all of them would temporarily inhabit in the body of a rat (Kaba) before being reborn into the tribe.

From that day onward rats are living inside the temple with the blessings of Karni Mata. People from far distance come to pay religious tribute to Shri Karni Mata. The Kaba’s (rats) get offering like milk, sweet, cereals, fruits, water and coconut from devotees. According to the custom of the temple, these things are first offered to the Kaba’s and then distributed among the devotees as Prasad. Especially the remaining water, that Kaba’s drink is considered to be very auspicious for the devotees.

Miracle of the Temple
The miracle is that, there no disease related to rats has been found here up to this date. Neither, the temple sting of foul smells, nor it is dirties anywhere. The other important factor is that, in this temple there is no trace of how these Kaba’s are reproduced. Moreover there has never being trace of baby rats. All the Kaba’s are of a standard size and weight without any changes down the ages.

Noticeable factor about these Kaba’s (rats) is, they are innumerable in numbers, but they never come out of the temple boundaries. The shopkeepers outside the temple have no complaint and no epidemics, because of these rats.

The world is trying to control the rapid growth of rats, but looking inside the temple we find that, these Kaba’s has disciplined growth as well as prescheduled living within demarcated boundaries. The rats have taken shelter in the Karni Mata temple now it is the turn of human.