Karni Mata Temple

Karni Mata Temple in Deshnok, 30 km from Bikaner, is India's most extraordinary temple — a 15th-century shrine dedicated to Karni Mata (an incarnation of Goddess Durga) where 25,000 sacred rats (kabbas) are worshipped as the reincarnated devotees of the goddess. Seeing and touching the holy rats is considered auspicious; spotting a rare white rat is especially lucky. One of India's most unique and talked-about religious sites. Draws over 600,000 pilgrims annually.