Karni Mata Temple, Deshnokकरणी माता मंदिर, देशनोक
The rat temple. Twenty thousand kabas, and a white one if you are lucky.
See what is open on your dateOpen in Google MapsWhereBikaner, Rajasthan
Bikaner & Thar
Bikaner & Thar
Kind of placeTemples & Shrines, Pilgrimage Routes
Best time to visit15 October to 15 March
Good seasonsPost-monsoon (October to November), Winter (December to February)
DifficultyEasy
Time needed2 hrs
Base and nearbyDeshnok, Deshnok
EntryFree · small camera fee · 30 km south of Bikaner
About Karni Mata Temple, Deshnok
Karni Mata was a fifteenth-century mystic who is the patron goddess of the Bikaner and Jodhpur royal houses, and her temple at Deshnok is home to roughly twenty thousand rats, called kabas, who are fed and treated as her descendants. Spotting a white one is meant to be lucky. Ganga Singh added the marble front and the silver doors in the early twentieth century. Go barefoot, and go early, when the rats are active.
What to see and do
- The kabas, some twenty thousand of them
- Spotting a white rat
- Silver doors and marble front by Ganga Singh
- Navratri fairs in Chaitra and Ashwin
- Deshnok bazaar outside the gate
Opening status, best time and closures here are estimates from usual seasons and past patterns, not live information. Confirm with the local authority before you go. Terms of use
More places in Bikaner
- Kolayat LakeBikaner, Rajasthan · Lakes & DamsA desert pilgrim lake with fifty-two ghats, at its best on Kartik Purnima.
- Bhandasar Jain TempleBikaner, Rajasthan · Temples & ShrinesA 1514 Jain temple painted in gold leaf, with a legend of ghee in the mortar.
- Devi Kund SagarBikaner, Rajasthan · Monuments & HeritageThe royal cenotaphs of Bikaner, red sandstone and marble, 8 km out of town.
- Gajner Palace and SanctuaryBikaner, Rajasthan · Palaces & HavelisA viceregal shooting lodge on a desert lake, with sandgrouse and blackbuck at the water.
- Junagarh FortBikaner, Rajasthan · FortsA fort on the flat that was never taken, with the finest painted palaces in Bikaner.
- KatariasarBikaner, Rajasthan · Villages & Hidden GemsDunes, chinkara and a fire dance 45 km from Bikaner. The easy desert night.
- Lalgarh PalaceBikaner, Rajasthan · Palaces & HavelisGanga Singh's red sandstone palace, the Sadul museum in one wing and a hotel in the other.
- National Research Centre on CamelBikaner, Rajasthan · Eco TourismThe camel farm on the edge of Bikaner. Go at four, eat the ice cream.
All places in Bikaner · All places in Rajasthan
Jagah Pedia home · All places A to Z · Privacy · Terms
Jagah Pedia is a free travel guide by Santosh Pandey. Status, timings and closures are estimates from usual patterns, so confirm locally before you travel.