Temple Complex[/caption]
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Marble carvings[/caption]
This temple has Rajput and Mughal style of architecture and the marble carvings at the entrance especially caught my eye. They are very beautifully done. As soon as I entered the doors, I found rats roaming around, nibbling on "prasad" offered by devotees. What if a rat jumped on me from above, I kept worrying as they were everywhere. I found one very peculiar rat that was bowing continuously to the idol of Karni Mata, sitting on its rear feet, at the entrance door. Don't know if anyone else noticed it or not but I did.
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At the entrance of the temple[/caption]
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Rats having milk[/caption]
It is said that there are approx. 20,000 black rats, with a few white ones. It is believed to be very auspicious if one sights any one of those white rats. Rats are considered holy there and it is an honour for the devotees to eat the rat-nibbled food. During my whole tour round the complex inside the temple, not a single rat came my way or of anyone else's and they do not even scare anyone by climbing on their feet, as many people there were worrying about.
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Devotees at Karni Mata Temple[/caption]
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Black Rat[/caption]
I felt very happy having visited this temple, which I had once watched on the National Geographic channel. Unusual India, indeed!
