Karni Mata

Karni Mata Temple
Karni Mata Temple Location in Rajasthan, India
Coordinates:	27°47′26″N 73°20′27″E
Name
Other names:	ridhu bai
Proper name:	Karni Mata Temple
Location
Country:	India
State:	Rajasthan
Location:	Deshnoke
Architecture and culture
Primary deity:	Durga
Architectural styles:	Rajput
History
Date built: (Current structure)	15th - 20th century

Karni Mata (Hindi: करणी माता) ((1387-10-02)2 October 1387 – 23 March 1538(1538-03-23)) was a female Hindu sage born in the Charan caste and is worshiped as the incarnation of the goddess Durga by her followers. She is an official deity of the royal family of Jodhpur and Bikaner. She lived an ascetic life and was widely revered during her own lifetime. At the request of the Maharaja of Bikaner, she laid the foundation stone two important forts in the region. The most famous of her temples is the temple of Deshnoke, which was created following her mysterious disappearance from her home. The temple is famous for its rats, which are treated as sacred and given protection in the temple. Contrary to some reports, the temple is of the Hindu sect and is not affiliated with the Jainism. Another temple dedicated to her during her lifetime differs from others in that it does not contain an image or idol of her but rather contains a foot-print to symbolize her visit to that place. The second name of Karni mata is (Nari bai).

Biography

Karni Mata was born on 2 October 1387 in the village of Suwap in Jodhpur district of Rajasthan. She was the seventh daughter of Mehoji Charan and his wife Deval Devi, and was named Ridhubai at birth. At the age of six, she miraculously cured her aunt of an ailment. The aunt gave her the name "Karni" or "miraculous (woman)" by which name she became known in future. Mata (mother) is an honourific commonly bestowed on pious elderly women and this came later.

At a very young age, she was given in marriage to Dipoji Charan of the village of Sathika. However, she later expressed to her husband her unwillingness to engage in matrimonial relations. He initially humoured her, thinking that she would relent in time. Instead of doing so, Karni arranged for him to marry her own younger sister Gulab so that he might have a proper married life. She herself remained celibate all her life, with the concurrence and support of her husband.

Karni lived in her in-laws' village for about two years before leaving with her followers and a herd of cattle to live a nomadic life, camping at sunset. One such camp was made at the village Jangloo, but a servant of Rao Kanha who was ruler of the place, denied them access to water for people and cows. On this, Karni Mata declared her follower Rao Ridmal of Chandasar as new ruler of the village and continued on her journey. When she reached near Deshnok, Rao Kanha himself came to oppose her camping but he died. Karni mata stopped further wandering and started living there. Her husband Depoji died in 1454.

In 1453, she gave her blessing to Rao Jodha of Jodhpur for conquering Ajmer, Merta and Mandor. In 1457, she went to Jodhpur at Rao Jodha's request to lay the cornerstone of the fort at Jodhpur.

Her first temple was constructed in the village of Mathania during her lifetime by her follower Amara Charan. In 1472, she arranged the marriage of Rao Bika (the fifth son of Rao Jodha) and Rang Kunwar (daughter of Rao Shekha of Pungal) to turn the enmity of the Rathor and Bhatian families into friendship. In 1485, she laid the foundation stone of the fort of Bikaner at the request of Rao Bika. In 1538, Karniji went to visit Maharaja of Jaisalmer. She was travelling back to Deshnok with her stepson Poonjar and a few other followers on 21 March 1538. They were near Gadiyala and Girirajsar of Kolayat district in Bikaner district where she asked the caravan to stop for water. She disappeared there, reportedly at the age of 151 years.

Karni Mata Temple, Deshnoke

Some of the marble carvings which were donated by Maharaja Ganga Singh.

The temple is also known as the Temple of Rats.

The Karni Mata Temple at Deshnoke, 30 km from Bikaner, India, was completed in the early 20th century in the late Mughal style by Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner. The temple was further enhanced by Kundanlal Verma of Hyderabad-based Karni Jewelers in 1999. The silver gates to the temple and the marble carvings were also donated by him.^{[citation needed]}. During Navratri thousands of people travel to the temple by foot.

The legend

Legend has it that Laxman, Karni Mata's stepson (or the son of one of her storytellers), drowned in a pond in Kapil Sarovar in Kolayat Tehsiil while he was attempting to drink from. Karni Mata implored Yama, the god of death, to revive him. First refusing, Yama eventually relented, permitting Laxman and all of Karni mata's male children to be reincarnated as rats.

The temple is famous for the approximately 20,000 Black Rats that live, and are revered in, the temple. If one of the rats is killed, it must be replaced with one made of solid gold. Eating food that has been nibbled on by the rats is considered to be a "high honor".

White rats

White rat at the Karni Mata temple

Out of all of the thousands of rats in the temple, there are a few white rats, which are considered to be especially holy. They are believed to be the manifestations of Karni Mata herself and her four sons. Sighting them is a special blessing and visitors put in extensive efforts to bring them forth, offering prasad, a sweet holy food.^{[citation needed]}

External links

• Karni Explanation of Karni (Karniji)
• Read Details about Karni Mata Temple
• National Geographic News: Rats Rule at Indian Temple
• Deshnok Temple A three-minute video news report on Karni Mata, a/k/a the "Bagwati Karniji" temple in Deshnoke, Rajasthan. Accessed 10 August 2007.
• [1] Karni Mata Temple of love with articles spreading her teachings and good cause.