World of the Bizarre

20,000 rats roam India's Karni Mata Temple

By T.K. Randall
February 26, 2014

Image: Brown Rat
Credit: Dunpharlain / CC BY-SA 4.0 (adapted) Conventionally a rat infestation is considered to be a huge problem, but for India's Karni Mata Temple the sight of thousands of furry rodents scurrying around its halls and rooms is not only be to expected, it is encouraged.

A popular tourist attraction, the temple is home to as many as 20,000 rats that are deliberately fed on large bowls of milk and grains because the local people believe them to be the incarnation of a Hindu Goddess.Visitors to the temple frequently attempt to feed the horde of rodents with sweets and other morsels in the belief that any food nibbled on by the rats obtains a divine status. Some devotees even take to finishing off half-eaten food items themselves.

"There is no history of plague in this area, despite the presence of rats for many years," said one visitor. "People come here to worship rats as god."

Source: AOL Travel

Tags: Rats, Karni Mata Temple, India