|
 Deshnok
is a small village situated 32 km south from Bikaner city along
the Jodhpur Road. It is connected by national highway and rail.
It is a pilgrim centre of Karni Mata. Karni Mata,
considered as an incarnation of Goddess Durga lived here
in the fourteenth century and performed many miracles.
Originally the village was called 'dus- nok' meaning ten corners
as it was formed by taking ten corners of ten villages.
Before the temple is a beautiful marble facade, which has solid
silver doors built by Maharaja Ganga Singh. Across the doorway
are more silver doors with panels depicting the various legends
of the Goddess. The image of the Goddess is enshrined in the
inner sanctum.
 The
temple is also famous for its holy rodents who are revered as
'Kabas'. It is believed that one of the younger children of
the Goddess was drowned to death. Karni Mata then ordered the
God of death Yama to bring him back to life. This was not
possible for Yama, but Karni Mata as the incarnate of Durga
could do so herself. So she got him back to life as a rodent and
ordered that no member of the family would die but be reborn as
Kaba. It is considered highly fortunate if a Kaba runs over your
feet. With so many of them around it is highly unlikely that you
wont get blessed. Sighting any white one, which are very few in
number is lucky and good for the spiritual enhancement. The
temple walls have convenient holes to permit a free passage-way
for the Kabas and the roof has a wire grill on the top to
prevent the birds of prey and other predators from harming the
rodents.
At the temple you can buy
prasad of sugar balls to feed the rodents. The priest as an act
of anointment puts a tikka of ash, from the holy fire in the
inner sanctum, on your forehead. No shoes are allowed inside the
temple. |
Shiv
Bari Temple (6 kms from Bikaner)
