A Reverence For Rats

[Guest guest]

DESHNOK, India (March 4, 2006): In 1387, a girl called Riddhu was

born in Suwap village in northwestern India.

 

She is believed to have been the goddess Karni, the incarnation of

Durga, who was sent to Earth for the sake of the poor, the weak and

the downtrodden of society.

 

Her descendents are said to be a family of rats at the Deshnok

village Hindu temple, rats that will, upon their death, be

reincarnated as human beings. Hence, the four-footed creatures are

revered and treated as well as any rat could wish.

 

"It is actually the Karni Mata Temple, named after the goddess —

Karni is her name, Mata means goddess — but it is now famously known

in the tourist trade as the rat temple," explains Mayur Hada, a

devout Hindu and my intrepid Indian guide.

 

The worshippers are known as charan, "a special caste of Hindus in

Rajasthan."

 

Why the rats? "Because Karni did a deal with the god of death (in

the 15th century) and saved her nephew's life," says Hada. As her

part of the deal, she agreed that her descendents would go through

an incarnation as rats.

 

"Right from the beginning, the rats were here and these charans

started believing that the rats had come to worship the Karni Mata.

So these people (today) come to feed these rats. There are huge woks

where food is cooked for them. And litres and litres of milk are

also served to them every day."

 

There are hundreds and hundreds of rats, most of them brown, but two

are white. It is said to be good luck to see a white rat.

 

"If you make a wish, your wish will come true," says Hada.

 

On the day of our visit, I am lucky: I make a wish for health,

happiness and peace.

 

Thousands of pilgrims visit each year, especially in April and in

October, "when we have special days for the goddesses. If you come

over here at that time, you will not find a place to stand. It is

that crowded."

 

On this day in January, however, the few pilgrims are outnumbered by

foreign tourists. All have removed their shoes, as is required when

one enters of Hindu temple. Some are brave enough to stroll

barefoot; I, on the other hand, keep my socks on. All are quiet and

respectful but most are paying little attention to the Brahmin

priest or those chanting religious songs. They are, instead, focused

on the rats.

 

So am I as I tiptoe about with my camera in hand. These rats are not

of the Paris sewer variety but a smaller, less threatening variety.

They look more like mice, rather cute, actually. And they appear to

be quite comfortable in their surroundings, oblivious to the human

beings who have invaded their space.

 

The rats are not all there is to the temple, however.

 

It is a beautiful structure, as are most Hindu temples, with lovely

carvings and a stunning main door of silver. Built by Maharajah

Ganga Singh of Bikaner, the temple is of marble, the domes of silver

and gold. It is said that Karni Mata appeared to the maharajah with

a request to care for the rats, hence his devotion. Visitors and

pilgrims enter the compound through a massive, intricately carved

gate topped by the red flag of Hinduism and the trident of Karni

Mata.

 

As the incarnation of Durga, Karni belongs to the sect of the

goddesses of power, thus she is portrayed sitting on a lion, adorned

with 10 arms and with deadly weapons.

 

According to one legend, she married but remained celibate,

encouraging her husband, Dapaji, to also marry her young sister,

Gulab. The couple had four sons whom Karni raised after their

parents' death. Another legend relates that her marriage dissolved

and she then became sanyasin (one who renounces of the world) and

devoted her life to the poor.

 

Durga, whom she represents in her incarnation as Karni, is regarded

as the Mother of the Universe and represents infinite power. She is

also a symbol of female dynamism. She is one of the angry and

aggressive aspects of the goddess Shakti, whose role in Hindu

mythology was to fight and conquer demons. She fought and killed the

evil Mahishasura, restoring heaven to the gods. Since then, her name

has been invoked as protection from the powers of evil.

 

At the Karni Mata Temple, it is regarded as auspicious — and a form

of protection — if a rat runs over your feet.

 

"What a pity," I comment to Hada as we leave. "No blessing from the

goddess. No rat ran over my feet."

 

"Yes, one did," he replies with a wicked grin.

 

"But you were busy taking photos and I didn't want to disturb you."

 

SOURCE: The Toronto Star. A reverence for rats: Temple rodents

believed to be descendents of goddess. It's considered auspicious if

one runs over a visitor's feet. Mar. 4, 2006. 01:00 AM By VIVIAN

MACDONALD, SPECIAL TO THE STAR

URL: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?

pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1141253416731&cal

l_pageid=991479973472&col=991929131147

[Guest guest]

Maa durga never incarnets, she exposes itself thru the being in terms

of talent, knowledge, vigor , truth, bravery or other great qualities

and we think the person who posses such qualities are the incarnation

coz a normally other ppl dont have, thus there is a clear

distinction, a bhakt when realizes maa's presence within him, also

receives such superb qualities and again other ppl considers the

bhakt as the incarnation of the god. coz, his will is approved by maa

and this what is called miracle.

 

i dont know, why , every one among us dont want to become

incarnation, all what we need to realize maa is within us.

 

regards,

Lalit.