Karni Mata Temple in Rajasthan is also revered as Rat Temple, which is considered as home to as many as 20,000 sacred rats, who are fed, worshipped and protected within its precincts.
These rats are known as Khabas. The Prasadam is first offered to the Khabas and only then to the devotees. This place is free of Plague or any other contagious diseases.
There is a popular belief that the rats are the incarnations of dead ancestors of Charan clans and when rats die, they are born as humans. The Karni Mata protects these rats. They are considered as the holiest rats.
Although, there are around 20000 rats here no one to this date has seen any baby rats. Any given day, they all are of same size, shape, weight and height. There are many white rats as well. They are considered as the holiest and pure Khabas.
