Karni Mata Fair Bikaner

Karni Mata Fair Is Held Twice A Year At Deshnoke In Bikaner Rajasthan. It Is Famous For The Large Number Of Rats Found At The Temple.

Location: Deshnok, Nokha in Bikaner, Rajasthan

When: Twice A Year, March To April And October To November

Rajasthan - Bikaner - Deshnoke

Karni Mata fair is held to commemorate Karni Mata, considered to be a Goddess by the people of Rajasthan and believed to be the deity of erstwhile rulers of Bikaner. The temple of the Goddess is made of stone and marble.

The story of Karni mata

Karni Mata was a wandering ascetic is supposed to have supernatural powers that she used for helping the poor and the downtrodden e.g. restoring the eyesight of the blind. She is credited with having laid the foundation of Deshnoke.

The fair in her honour is held twice yearly, the first and larger fair in March-April from Chaitra Shukla Ekam to Chaitra Shukla Dashmi, during the Navratras. The second fair is held from Ashvin Shukla to Ashwin Shukla Dashmi in September-October, also during the Navratras. The Rajput bring their children here for their first hair cut and to receive the deity's blessing.

The temple is opened for the public at 4.00 a.m. Charan priests perform Mangla-Ki-Aarti and offer bhog (special food) as worship. This temple is known for the large number of brown rats inhabiting it. They are considered auspicious and are completely harmless. The sighting of a white rat is believed to be very auspicious.

The devotees make two kinds of offerings, the 'dwar-bhent' given to the priests and the workers and the 'kalash-bhent' utilised for the temple maintenance and development.

Reaching The Fair

Karni Mata is easily accessible by air from Bikaner airport, by rail from Bikaner railway station and is connected to all major places by a wide network of roads.