At the Rat Temple - A photo of the Reincarnated Male members of the Charan clan

No photo journey of the Rat Temple would be complete without having close up glimpses of the actual rats that inhabit the warrens inside the Karni Mata temple complex. You can find them peeping out of small holes in the marble walls, scurrying down steps and darting around trying to get some food.

 

MIlk is available in the shops outside that sell prayer ware. You can also buy yellow Laddus for the rats. These are traditional offerings for the rats.

 

The rats that you see during the daytime are generally furtive and not so bold. Not many can be seen either. The popular numbers touted for the rats is about 15000-20000, though no census ever was taken. It is only during the early morning time that there is a large presence of the rats and most of them that are visible are large and healthy. The weaker ones come out later to forage on what they can get.

 

The rats are supposed to be reincarnated male members of the Charan caste of Rajasthan and they are the vestments for the human souls for a short time. As soon as a rat dies, a human being is born. That in essence is the karmic cycle of the Rat temple.

 

There are more rat photos, so just bear with me :)

 

Dates

Taken on January 12, 2013 at 9.59AM IST (edit)

Posted to Flickr July 17, 2013 at 12.43AM IST (edit)

Exif data

Camera Nikon D300

Exposure 0.01 sec (1/100)

Aperture f/2.8

Focal Length 70 mm

ISO Speed 1000

Exposure Bias 0 EV

Flash No Flash

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