Bikaner and the Karni Mata Rat Temple

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This one is for Matt and Jo.

We arrived on a dusty train from Jaisalmer in the evening, the route was straight across the desert and the carriages on Indian train are not protected very well from the elements so the carriage, including us and our bags, were covered in dust. Dodging the touts trying their best to take us to their hotel, we negotiated a fare to our chosen hotel. We asked to see a basic double room and as the owner opened the door, there on the bed was a lizard sitting staring back at us. The owner chased it away and said “perhaps another room”. The second room he showed us smelled quite strongly of wee so we said no. After this, he showed us a deluxe room and offered it to us for the basic price. Bonus.

Our main reason for visiting this dusty little city is to see the Karni Mata rat temple at a little town called Deshnok 30km south. The temple is a bizarre place where free roaming rats scurry around the walls and floor. The worshippers believe that the rats are the reincarnated souls of people saved from Yama, the god of death. No shoes are allowed in the temple but we were thankfully allowed to wear socks while wandering around through the rat droppings.

Arriving early, the temple had only just opened an there was a big queue to get in. We stood for a while and then someone told us that we were allowed to go through the exit to get is, bypassing the hundred or so people standing waiting. Of course, we snapped up this chance and went straight in to the heart of the temple. Being a foreigner was finally working to our advantage: go England!

There were hundreds of rats all around sleeping in the heat of the day, or scurrying around playfully. The floors were covered in rat dropping and bits of old food that people bring as offerings the the holy rats and was quite disgusting as I'm sure you can imagine. While we were there a rat scurried across Stacey's feet which is supposed to be a sign of good luck, which will hopefully come in the form of not catching leptospyrosis.

We were also lucky enough to see the legendary white rat who was hiding in a darkened room. While there if you accidentally step on a rat and kill it, you are obliged to replace it with one made of gold. Being fresh out of golden rat effigies, we trod carefully.

The whole thing was interesting to see but as we left and put our shoes back on, we both decided not to try and save our socks which were by this point covered in any number of unpleasant things, so we left them by the roadside and caught the bus back to our hotel.

Next stop Jaipur, the first corner of the golden triangle of Northern India.

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Comments

[Liz Wyatt]

rats -urgh!!!!
It is so interesting to read your blogs Warren and Stacey and do hope you are not getting cramp in the fingers with all the typing! Keep the good work up please. I think you look very cool, calm and collected with all the rats around you Stacey - very brave!! Continue having a wonderful trip in India. Love Grandma and Grandad

[Rachel]

And you went to this place voluntarily?? Crazy people....

[Jo]

Holy rats, Batman!
Well I feel very honoured - having my own blog dedication. I can't decide whether to think 'awwww' (as they do remind me of our beloved ratties RIP) or 'eeewww'...

[ByeByeWhitleyBay]

:-)
If you had seen the floor, it would definatley be eeewww!