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TEMPLE · RAJASTHANKarni Mata
The famous "rat temple" of Deshnok near Bikaner, where thousands of sacred rats are revered as blessings.
The temple of the sacred rats
Karni Mata Temple at Deshnok, some 30 km south of Bikaner in Rajasthan, is one of India’s most unusual and famous shrines, dedicated to Karni Mata, worshipped as an incarnation of the goddess Durga.
It is known the world over as the “rat temple”, home to thousands of sacred rats called kabas that scurry freely through the marble halls and are cared for and revered by devotees; spotting a rare white rat is considered especially auspicious.
Behind its ornate silver doors and marble facade lies a place of deep local devotion, easily reached from Bikaner and often paired with that city’s forts and palaces on a Rajasthan trip.
The ornate marble facade of the Karni Mata rat temple at Deshnok.
Reasons to make the time
Sacred rats
Thousands of rats — the kabas — live in the temple halls, fed and protected, and moving among them barefoot is the experience people come for.
Silver doors
The entrance carries ornate silver gates and a carved marble facade, and the craftsmanship is easy to miss given what is happening at floor level.
Deep devotion
Karni Mata was a fourteenth-century mystic of the Charan community, venerated as an incarnation of Durga.
Near Bikaner
It is 30 km from Bikaner, so it pairs directly with the fort and palaces on the same day.
Top sights in Karni Mata
Photos via Wikimedia Commons
How to spend an hour or two
Visit the rat temple
Go in and see the kabas and the silver doors — this is unlike any other temple visit in India.
Look for the white rat
Look out for a white rat among the thousands; sighting one is held to be especially auspicious.
See Junagarh Fort
Tour Junagarh Fort at Bikaner, which was never taken and whose painted interiors survive intact.
Visit the palaces
See Lalgarh and Laxmi Niwas, the red-sandstone palaces on the edge of the city.
Add a Jain temple
Visit the Bhandasar Jain temple, painted throughout and standing on the highest ground in the old city.
When to go
October to March is the only comfortable season in this desert region, and the best time for the drive out.
The monsoon is brief and light here, bringing rare rain and a welcome drop in temperature.
April to June brings fierce desert heat; the temple floor in particular becomes hard going barefoot.
🦶 Shoes are removed at the temple and the floor is shared with the rats — go barefoot or in socks and tread carefully.
Timings & entry
- The temple opens early and stays busy through the day.
- Footwear comes off at the gate, as at any temple.
Getting there
By Air
Bikaner and Jodhpur are the nearest airports.
By Rail
Deshnok has a station; Bikaner is the main railhead.
By Road
About 490 km from Ahmedabad; 30 km south of Bikaner.
Know before you go
Karni Mata FAQ
Why is Karni Mata Temple famous?
It is the famous rat temple of Deshnok, where thousands of rats — the kabas — are revered, fed and protected. The temple honours Karni Mata, a fourteenth-century mystic venerated as an incarnation of Durga.
Where is the rat temple?
At Deshnok, about 30 km south of Bikaner in Rajasthan, directly on the road towards Jodhpur.
Are the rats really sacred?
Yes. The kabas are treated as blessings rather than as vermin, and glimpsing one of the rare white rats among them is held to be especially auspicious.
How far is it from Gujarat?
About 490 km from Ahmedabad, reached via Bikaner by road or rail. Most visitors come as part of a wider Rajasthan trip.
Can I combine it with Bikaner?
Yes. It pairs naturally with Bikaner's Junagarh Fort, the Lalgarh and Laxmi Niwas palaces and the Bhandasar Jain temple, all half an hour away.
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Published 7 July 2026