An Indian temple is infested with more than 20,000 rats and visitors flock from far and wide to worship the rodents normally perceived as the scourge of the earth.
The Karni Mata Temple in remote Deshnoke, Rajasthan is known as the 'Temple of Rats' because it is overrun by the animals which scurry though its stone halls.
The rodents, called kabbas, are revered by both tourists and locals who have gone to great lengths to protect the species by building netting and grills to keep out predators such as raptors.
The rats are seen as holy because legend claims that when the goddess Karni Mata's stepson was reincarnated by Yama, the god of death, he also allowed all of the goddess's children to be reincarnated as rats.
There are conflicting stories behind the legend, and one version alleges that when a 20,000 strong army fled to Deshnoke, a sin punishable by death, Karni Mata showed mercy and turned them into rats instead. In response, the army promised to serve Karni Mata in her temple forever.
Surender Sharma, a visitor, said: This is my first visit to this temple. There is no history of plague in this area, despite the presence of rats for many years. People come here to worship rats as god.'
The rodents move freely within the temple and can be seen eating from a huge metal bowl of milk and grains, placed there daily by devotees.
Surender Sharma, a visitor, said: This is my first visit to this temple. There is no history of plague in this area, despite the presence of rats for many years. People come here to worship rats as god.'
The rodents move freely within the temple and can be seen eating from a huge metal bowl of milk and grains, placed there daily by devotees.
Many visitors offer sweets and other candy to the vermin.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3660642/Inside-Temple-Rats-overrun-20-000-vermin-invited-dine-people-WORSHIPPED-visitors.html
The food nibbled by the rats is also considered holy and is sometimes consumed by a devotee - even if it has been half eaten by rodents.
Savita Sharma, another visitor, said: 'I keep visiting this temple. The first time I visited this place I was glad to see rats all around. But I did scream out loudly when a rat touched my foot.'
While black and brown rats are easily spotted in the temple courtyard, devotees believe sighting a white rat is a blessing.
One visitor named Mishra said: 'I have come to see rats and white rat is considered lucky. If someone see's a white rat then he or she gets good luck and the blessings of god. I am glad that I have seen a white rat.'
Canadian based photographer, Owen Lin, travelled to the temple to witness the peculiar sight.
He said: 'We went for the spectacle and the oddity of it. We were a little apprehensive about going, because we didn't really know what to expect.
'It was kind of quiet when we got there and we weren't sure it would be worth the trip, but once you went in further and looked around the temple you saw areas of the temple that were infested with rats.
'Personally rats don't scare me, so I wasn't too freaked out, but if you're scared of rats then it's really going to cause you some stress.
'They weren't terribly shy, they didn't seem to care about people too much and they weren't really aggressive.
'They seem to be just trying to eat mainly. Some of them were pretty healthy and some of them looked a little raggedy.'
Even though the explorer saw a few dead rats dotted about, he said the temple was well cared for and was very clean considering its rodent population.
Mr Lin was momentarily concerned about having to remove his shoes, as is customary in Indian temples, but once inside he said there were very few rat droppings.
He added: 'It just sounded outrageous - someone devoting an entire temple to these rats. We were in the area and we just had to go.
'I'm not sure how many people bother going, so it was refreshing to visit a relatively untouched area.'
Currently the temple is mainly visited by worshippers, who place their offerings to the goddess in the centre of the temple - with one man offering a big bottle of alcohol for the goddess.
Priests at the temple treat the furry inhabitants with serious devotion and warn visitors to walk carefully within the temple premises to avoid trampling them.
According to the temple rules, stepping accidentally on rat and killing it is a sin.
The perpetrator is then bound to buy a gold or silver rat statue and place it in the temple as a payment of sin.
Scourge of the earth? Only if you kill off their natural predators like cats. Rats fill a very important part of the food chain. Of course poos take it to a level of obsession that I've never seen before, but they aren't exactly known for their critical thinking.
>>53907
>but they aren't exactly known for their critical thinking
True but even for them this seems a bit extreme, though from the pictures it seems the rats also have their own designated shitting streets.
That's pretty cool. I'm glad there's a temple where people worship rats. It makes the world a more interesting place. Certainly beats the pants off sitting on a uncomfortable bench and listening to a priest drone on for an hour.
>There is no history of plague in this area
Seems like India also is in dire need of ophthalmologists
>>53941
Yeah can we get more animal temples? I want to see the crocodile worshippers. I guess I should go to Egypt.
HEE SKAVEN BLOOD!
FOR THE GREAT HORNED RAT!
>>54016
Us floridians already built one in Orlando where we give child sacrifice. That keeps the hordes happy and chilling in the everglades.
>>53879
Cool shit; build more.
>>54020
I get it.
>>53879
Rats, eh?
I hear the Fighters' Guild can take right care of that. Speak with Azzan in Anvil.
>>54020
too soon
>>53879
LEt me see the best gentalman. .
End of the World RACE:
Kasmir nuclear holocaust 11
Global warming 11
Solar EMP 10
US-Chinese war 8
US-Russian war 5
Meteor strike 3
Asian bird pandemic 2
Indian Rat temple pandemic 1
Do I see any more, 'Indian Rat temple pandemic' bets?
>>53879
Current...interesting...
>DailyMail.com
>>53879
Is this where jews are born?
if someone leave their cat there what will happen
>>53879
>in India
What a surprise
>>54629
it gets sent to the cat temple
>>54678
I'd never NEVER go to india but this is cool.
End times vermintide
>>53879
Seems like a great idea, what could go wrong! No history of plagues in the area!
>coming soon lel
>>54020
Not soon enough.
>>54678
>I'm dumb and angry and american
>>53907
>but they aren't exactly known for their critical thinking.
It's a religion, bruh.
>tips fedora
Religions are all over weird and crazy things. At least they aren't kill and/or dying over it, like snake cults, immunization opposition, suicide cults, or other similar things in the US that have all been motivated by religion. It's just one of their weird local ones that's made news because it's weird.
>>53879
Reminder that in Asia rats are not villified as they are here in the civilised world.
They revere rats so much, it's part of their zodiac.
Same with pigs. Fucking pigs.
>>55581
>Same with pigs. Fucking pigs.
They eat pigs and so do we or are you a goat fucker?
>>53879
It's their temple.
Why are you so angry?
They're not vermin if they're welcomed.
>>55610
Those are the daily mails words
That entire country is a spectacle of repugnance.
