Summary
Highlights
The Karni Mata Temple in northern India, at first glance, appears like any other pilgrim site, but it stands out for housing over 15,000 rats, revered as deities. These rats are found throughout the temple, running freely in courtyards and stairways.
Juh-Dean, a priest at the Karni Mata temple, explains that the rats are considered forms of the goddess and are worshipped. He believes they are his ancestors reborn, and that when rats die, they are reborn as humans, and vice versa. This strong belief in reincarnation is central to the temple's practices.
Tourists visit the temple daily, but must remove their shoes and go barefoot, making the experience 'sticky' due to rat excrement. Children are seen interacting closely with the rats, even feeding them by hand, as the rats are considered harmless within the temple grounds, contrasting with societal fears of rats outside.
The video highlights the health risks associated with rats, which can spread over 20 diseases, even without biting. Despite these risks, visitors and devotees test their courage by getting close to the rats. For the temple's clan members, embracing this taboo is an act of deep faith.
Priests and clan members, like Juh-Dean, devote themselves to the rats, never treating them as mere rodents. They eat and drink alongside the rats, whom they call 'kavas' or 'little children,' feeding them first before eating themselves. The rats even act as 'official tasters' for meals prepared in the temple kitchen, a practice considered a sign of good fortune and respect for the goddess.