Exploring Karni Mata Temple: Timings, Location, & Significance

99Pandit Ji

Last Updated:August 21, 2025

Karni Mata Temple: Whenever we hear about Rajasthan, we always think about its culture, heritage, and history, which tells us about the brave war of the Rajputs against the Mughals.

Rajasthan is not just a state; it is the home of forts, temples, and a rich cultural heritage. We are here today to explore the Karni Mata Temple in Bikaner, Rajasthan.

In Rajasthan, many temples are famous due to a major belief. Karni Mata Temple is also one of them.

This temple is famous for its rats. A large number of rats are seen in this temple. This temple is dedicated to the Goddess Karni Mata.

The Karni Mata Temple is located in Deshnok, the city of the Bikaner district of Rajasthan.

It is said that in this temple, the leftover prasad of rats is distributed among the devotees. This temple is famous for its beliefs and rich history.

With 99Pandit, let us discover this extraordinary Karni Mata Temple in Bikaner. We will explore its history, architectural significance, Darshan timings, and much more.

Darshan Timings of Karni Mata Temple

Karni Mata Temple Darshan Timings:

Karni Mata Aarti Time:

All About Karni Mata Temple

Karni Mata Temple is one of the most prominent temples of Rajasthan. The temple dedicated to Maa Karni is situated in Deshnok, the city of the Bikaner district of Rajasthan.

As per religious belief, Karni Mata is the incarnation of Goddess Durga. She was a well-known female saint who lived in the 14th century near this place.

She was known for her divine powers and miraculous events as well. It is said that she also lived a life of penance and service for many years.

According to the people, after the death of Karni Mata, her descendants become rats and stay with their mother in the temple.

After her death, the devotees installed her idol and constructed a temple there. Nowadays, devotees come from all across the country to see the mother.

This temple is unique in itself; thousands of rats live in the temple, and they are fed prasad and worshipped.

Rat is considered to be reincarnated from Karni Mata’s stepson and descendants. They are also called “Kaba” here, and no one is allowed to harm them here.

Moreover, if you see a white rat in the temple, it is considered to be very auspicious, and it is said that Mother gives special blessings to them.

History and Architecture of Karni Mata Temple

The architecture of the Karni Mata temple is in the Mughal style. This temple is as attractive as its name suggests, curious and captivating. It has marble carvings and silver doors.

Many people claim that Karni Mata was illuminated here on Thursday, Chaitra Shukla Navami, 1595. Since its dedication, Karni Mata has been worshipped here.

The people of Bikaner and the regions around it hold that Karni Mata is the incarnation of Goddess Durga.

Karni Mata was a female warrior of the Charan caste; her childhood name was Righubai.

After marriage, Mata lost her charm for worldly attachments and gave herself to asceticism and the service of people. Historically, Mata was born in 1387 AD and lived for roughly 150 years.

The history of Karni Mata Mandir is not definitively verifiable; many traditional accounts of the temple are told and narrated.

Some say Raja Jai Singh built it, whilst others say Maharaja Ganga Singh built it; it is widely believed that he built it in its form as a Rajput style from the 15th to 20th centuries.

Significance of Karni Mata Temple in Bikaner

The Karni Mata temple is really famous for its rich history and cultural significance. This temple in Bikaner is also known for its unusual relationship with rats.

As said before, the temple is dedicated to Karni Mata, who is a revered figure thought to be an incarnation of Maa Durga.

Thousands of pilgrims travel to this temple every year due to its beautiful history and religious significance.

The Karni Mata temple shelters thousands of black and brown rats. These rats are the temple’s immediate premises, and they move around as they see fit.

These rats are called ‘Kaaba’, and are referred to as the children of Karni Mata. It is regarded as a grave sin to cause any kind of harm to these rats in the temple.

Even devotees are advised to walk, dragging their feet so that no rat gets hurt, even unknowingly.

Some white rats are also seen in the temple, the sight of which is considered extremely auspicious.

It is believed that white rats symbolize Karni Mata and her son. The temple has another unique tradition regarding the leftover prasad of rats.

The food offered to the Goddess in the temple is first provided to the rats, and the leftover Prasad is given to devotees.

Surprisingly, no one has reported getting sick after eating this Prasad! Devotees take the Prasad with the utmost respect as a blessing of the Goddess.

Mythological Story Related to Karni Mata Temple

According to the administrator of the temple, Karni Mata has a family. People of this family have been taking birth for years.

It is believed that if any member of Mata’s family dies, they were born in this temple as a rat. These 25000 rats you see in the temple are the members of her family.

It is said that this temple is 600 years old. Karni ji did penance in this temple for 100 years. At that time, there was an atmosphere of anarchy in western Rajasthan.

After this, Mata settled Bikaner and Jodhpur. She helped the kings. After marriage, Karni Mata showed her husband the form of Durga. Then her husband was married to Karni Mata’s younger sister.

They had four sons. Once, Karni Mata’s sister’s youngest son, Lakhan, came to see the fair sitting on a camel. Here, he jumped into the water and died.

As soon as the family gets this news, they ask Karni Mata to give them a son. Then the mother takes the son in her hands and closes the cave.

After this, she asked Yamraj and Dharmaraj to return her son. But Yamraj said that if this happens, then how will the earth run?

After this, Karni Mata chose the shape of a rat. After this, every member of the family is born as a rat in the temple after death.

Location and Temple Entry Fees

The Karni Mata Mandir is one of the most renowned temples in the Bikaner district. It is located in Deshnok, around 30 km from the Bikaner city district of Rajasthan.

This temple is the only temple where devotees also offer food and other rituals for rats inside the temple.

People in western Rajasthan worship Goddess Karni as their local deity. People come from across the globe to pay their respects.

It is a renowned temple and a tourist attraction. The details about the Karni Mata temple in Bikaner Darshan, and the entry fee are mentioned below:

1. The temple entry is free. Devotees do not need to pay any entry fees. 
2. There is no entry or darshan fee for the Karni Mata Temple.
3. The Tourism Department of the Rajasthan government kept the temple entry free for all.
4. People came here and performed Puja and aarti activities at no cost, stating that Karni Mata would receive blessings and a good life.
5. Some special charges apply for the Camera.

• Video Camera Charge- ₹50.
  
• Still Camera Charge – ₹20.

6. You need to bring the Puja Samagri and other ritual items like food for rats, etc.

How to Reach Karni Mata Mandir

There are several modes of transportation that you can use to reach the Karni Mata Mandir in Bikarner.

Public transportation, like buses, jeeps, and taxis, is easily accessible from Bikaner to reach this temple.

You can even reach a nearby temple via train. The temple is near Deshnok railway station on the Bikaner-Jodhpur route.

1. By Air

The closest airport to Karni Mata Temple is the Jodhpur Airport. Jodhpur Airport lies 220 km from Bikaner. You can book a taxi or rent a car to go to the temple from the airport.

2. By Train

If you want to come by train, then after reaching the Bikaner station, you can rent a taxi or a car to visit the Karni Mata Temple.

Bikaner has a well-developed train network that connects the city to other cities in the country. The temple is about 30 km from the Bikaner station.

3. By Bus

If you want to reach Bikaner by bus, then the Rajasthan State Transport Corporation will help you get there.

You will find multiple buses that travel from various places in Rajasthan, and you will not have any trouble arriving at the Karni Mata temple.

Along with the government transport facility, it is also possible to use private buses to reach the temple.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Karni Mata Temple is not just a religious place, but it also gives a message to love animals.

The rats in the temple also worshipped, and devotees offered them food. Thousands of devotees and tourists visit the temple every year.

The best time to visit the temple is Navratri. Many devotees come here mainly twice a year during Chaitra and Shardiya Navratri.

During Navratri, there is a massive crowd of devotees. You can also stay near the temple. There are many Dharamshalas near the temple where devotees can stay.

So, we have come to the end of the article. I hope you enjoyed reading this article. 99Pandit always tries to cater to the audience with religious content to make you more knowledgeable about culture.

Stay connected with 99Pandit to get more content like this. We will come back with another interesting topic that will please you.

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