The temple of mice dedicated to Karni Mata, in India, is a unique place in the world; visiting it can be quite a disturbing experience, but in my opinion, it is something not to be missed during your trip to Rajasthan.
I had heard of it from many, and I was really so curious to see it; at the same time, I was worried about what my reaction might be in front of all these mice (not so small, indeed, quite well-fed)!
What you will read
The Rat Temple is dedicated to Karni Mata, a Hindu goddess. Legend has it that she lost a son at an early age; for this he asked Yama, the God of Death, to return it to him.
This was not possible because the child had already reincarnated. Karni Mata then decided that, from that moment, all her family members would be reincarnated as mice.
There is also another version that says that Karni Mata was a pious woman, famous for her wisdom and the good works she performed; both the common people and the nobles asked her for advice and blessings. Upon his death, the locals decided to erect a temple in his memory.
As soon as the construction was completed, a white mouse appeared and settled in the temple: the faithful think it was the same Karni Mata. The rats that arrived later are the souls of their ancestors reincarnated in these little animals.
For this reason, mice are entitled to care and attention as a sign of respect. It is also said that if someone sees the white mouse, it will bring them luck. And if a mouse gets on your feet or even on your lap, that too is a good omen. What to say? We preferred to stay away from the rats during our visit and keep our bad luck!
The temple is located in Deshnoke, no more than thirty kilometers from Bikaner, in Rajasthan. We got there by car with our driver, but if you want, there is a train that will take you to your destination.
The departure is from Bikaner Junction and the journey time is about twenty minutes. The cost of the ticket is quite modest, as it ranges from 30 to 50 rupees depending on the train you take; therefore not even 1 euro.
I've also seen someone get there with the tuc-tuc, but this option takes longer and I think it's even more expensive. The last alternative is a taxi, even in this case the cost is quite modest, but of course, remember to negotiate the price.
Entrance to the temple is free; but upon arrival, you will have to take off your shoes. You will have to leave them in a guarded rack and this will cost you a few tens of rupees.
Foreigners will receive bags with which to cover their feet; and thank goodness, because I was worried about the idea of ??walking on the excrement of mice with only socks. In fact, we had brought a spare pair in our backpack so we could take out the dirty ones after the visit and throw them away.
The locals, on the other hand, enter with only socks, or even some enter barefoot. Beyond the disgust, I think it is far from hygienic to step on the animal waste that can lead to diseases such as leptospirosis! In reality, there are few foreigners; when we visited the temple, we were the only westerners.
But there is a decent crowd of locals. You will also find stalls selling food to give to mice. Obviously, we didn't buy any: we didn't have the slightest intention of attracting the attention of the small inhabitants of the temple.
The guide gave us a very disturbing recommendation: in case one of the mice had climbed on our legs, we had to be very delicate in pushing it away. I let you imagine my face: at that point, I had almost decided not to enter.
And here we cross the threshold! Mice, mice everywhere! They told me there are about 25,000 of them and I can't believe it. Along the walls there were large bowls full of water, milk, and food everywhere; and each of them swarmed with these little creatures.
It was incredible to see the ease with which they walked around people; evidently, they are not afraid of it. I tried to keep as far away from the walls as possible, as it seemed that most of them were busy eating or drinking from the bowls. But every now and then there was someone whizzing at full speed in the center of the room.
The highlight was when the guide showed me a young girl, sitting on a step, with a mouse in her arms and a couple of mice grazing on her feet. He asked me if I wanted to sit down too to do the same thing, maybe one or two mice could decide to climb on my lap; I cannot relate to the answer I gave him, because I would become vulgar.
And in the courtyard, we noticed a net that covered the opening at the top; they explained to us that it is used to prevent pigeons or crows from entering and perhaps preying on one of the mice.
And in the courtyard, we noticed a net that covered the opening at the top; they explained to us that it is used to prevent pigeons or crows from entering and perhaps preying on one of the mice.
What should I say? It was a truly unique experience, but I can't describe my relief when we finally got out of the temple and I was able to put my shoes back on!
