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The Karni Mata Temple at Deshnok, Rajasthan, is famous for its:
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Answer: Option B — Rats
Detailed Solution
The Karni Mata Temple at Deshnok, about 30 km from Bikaner in Rajasthan, is famous for the thousands of rats (about 25,000) that live in the temple and are worshipped.
About the Karni Mata Temple:
It is dedicated to Karni Mata, a female Hindu sage of the 14th-15th centuries (believed to have lived from 1387 to 1538), who is worshipped as an incarnation of Goddess Durga.
She belonged to the Charan community, and was the family goddess (kuldevi) of the rulers of Bikaner and Jodhpur. She is believed to have laid the foundation of the Bikaner Fort (Junagarh) and the Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur.
The rats are called "kabbas" (little children). According to legend, Karni Mata asked Yama, the god of death, to bring back the son of a storyteller (or her stepson); when Yama refused, she declared that all members of her clan would be reincarnated as rats in the temple, and then reborn as members of the Charan clan.
Devotees offer food (milk, sweets and grains) to the rats. Eating food that the rats have touched is considered a blessing.
Seeing a white rat (believed to be Karni Mata herself or her sons) is considered especially lucky.
If a rat is accidentally killed, it is traditionally replaced with one made of gold or silver.
The present temple was built in the early 20th century by Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner, in the Mughal style, with white marble and silver doors.
A large fair is held twice a year, during the Navratri festivals (March-April and September-October).
About Bikaner:
- It was founded in 1488 by Rao Bika, a son of Rao Jodha (founder of Jodhpur).
- It has the Junagarh Fort, the Lalgarh Palace and the Camel Research Centre.
- It is famous for "Bikaneri bhujia" (with a GI tag) and camel festivals.
Other temples famous for animals:
- Galtaji Temple (Jaipur): known as the "Monkey Temple".
- Hanuman temples in many places are visited by monkeys.
- Mannarasala Temple (Kerala): famous for serpent (snake) worship.
- Brahma Temple, Pushkar: one of the very few temples dedicated to Brahma.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Peacocks are the national bird; no famous temple is known for them in this way.
- ✗Monkeys are associated with temples such as Galtaji (Jaipur).
- ✗Cows are sacred in Hinduism, but the Deshnok temple is famous for rats.
Quick tip
Remember: Karni Mata Temple = Deshnok, near Bikaner, Rajasthan (about 25,000 holy rats, "kabbas"; white rats lucky; built by Maharaja Ganga Singh); Galtaji = Monkey Temple, Jaipur; Mannarasala = snakes.
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This topic covers India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.