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Rajasthan

Deshnoke (Karni Mata Temple)

Marble temple where 25,000 rats are fed as sacred kabas

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Best time to visit Deshnoke (Karni Mata Temple)

peak shoulder off-season avoid

  • Go: November to February
  • Shoulder: March and October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
  • Skip: April to September

Planning a specific month? JanuaryFebruaryNovemberDecember

Deshnoke (Karni Mata Temple) season by season

Winter December to February Prime time

At 5-25 C you can stand barefoot on the courtyard marble; come for the dawn aarti when the kabas swarm the milk bowls.

Summer March to May Shoulder

April-June is 45 C, the floor is barefoot-only and blistering, and the inner hall smells a great deal worse in that heat.

Monsoon June to September Do not go

Almost no rain reaches this deep into the Thar, so July-September is simply 38 C, sticky, and grimy underfoot.

Autumn October to November Prime time

October brings the Ashwin Navratri fair and a real crush; from November it is cool, calm and easy to visit early.

What Deshnoke (Karni Mata Temple) is actually like

One temple, a bazaar of prasad stalls and dharamshalas; most people come as a two-hour stop from Bikaner and leave

Getting to Deshnoke (Karni Mata Temple)

Deshnok station on the Bikaner-Jodhpur line; frequent buses from Bikaner, 30 km and about 45 min

Practical ways in: trainroad

Trip facts

How long to stay
1 day
Budget
Shoestring
How busy
Steady at its peak
Solo travel
Fine solo
Altitude
276 m
State
Rajasthan
Coordinates
27.7910, 73.3410

Common questions

When is the best time to visit Deshnoke (Karni Mata Temple)?

November to February is peak season in Deshnoke (Karni Mata Temple). March and October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to September. October brings the Ashwin Navratri fair and a real crush; from November it is cool, calm and easy to visit early.

How many days do you need in Deshnoke (Karni Mata Temple)?

1 day is the usual stay. One temple, a bazaar of prasad stalls and dharamshalas; most people come as a two-hour stop from Bikaner and leave.

How do you get to Deshnoke (Karni Mata Temple)?

Deshnok station on the Bikaner-Jodhpur line; frequent buses from Bikaner, 30 km and about 45 min. Practical ways in: train and road.

Is Deshnoke (Karni Mata Temple) expensive, and does it get crowded?

Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs steady at the busiest time of year. Fine solo.

Is there a festival in Deshnoke (Karni Mata Temple)?

Mar/Apr: Karni Mata fair at Chaitra Navratri, repeated Sep/Oct. Time a trip around it and you see the place at its loudest, but book beds early.

Nearby, and where to go next

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