在印度西部比卡內（Bikaner）以南約30公里的德薩努克（Deshnok）鎮，有一座極具特色的宗教場所——卡爾尼馬塔神廟（Karnimata Temple），俗稱 「聖鼠廟」。這座廟宇自建立以來已有五百多年的歷史，因廟內數以萬計被視為神聖的老鼠而聞名於世，每天吸引成千上萬的信徒前來朝拜。廟內的老鼠被教徒視為神靈化身，受到極高敬意與精心照料，甚至教徒們寧願自己忍受飢餓，也要保證老鼠的食物供應與生活環境。據統計，每月僅供養廟中老鼠的費用就超過十萬盧比，而每天早晚則有固定的祈禱與喂鼠儀式，信徒們在廟堂內敲鼓誦經，老鼠在鼓聲響起時會蜂擁而出，搶食杯盤上的食物，吃飽後再回到洞穴休息與繁殖。

為了滿足老鼠「喜歡挖洞」的天性，廟內的牆壁特意鑿許多小洞，並設置防貓網與崗哨以防侵擾。此外，廟方還有嚴格規定：無論任何情況下，進入廟內的信徒不得傷害老鼠；若不慎踩死老鼠，需以黃金鑄造一隻等重的老鼠贈與廟方作為補償；進廟參拜時，信徒亦需攜帶食物供老鼠享用。由於老鼠的繁殖能力極強，一對老鼠一年可繁殖近五千隻後代，保守估計，廟內現有老鼠數量已超過十萬隻。這些老鼠對於祈禱與喂食儀式已形成條件反射，只要鼓聲一響，便會迅速從洞穴中出來搶食，形成一種有序而神秘的景象。

至於印度人為何如此崇拜老鼠，則與宗教傳說密不可分。相傳很久以前，有位說書人的兒子染重病，求救於死神，死神將孩子的靈魂寄宿於老鼠體內，因老鼠死亡後靈魂仍可轉世為人，從而延續生命。由此，印度教徒深信死去的人可能化為老鼠，而老鼠死後又可輪回為人。因此，在聖鼠廟中自由活動的老鼠，被信徒視作逝去親人的化身，自然受到極高敬意。另一種說法則認為，老鼠是聖象神迦尼薩（Ganesha）的使者。迦尼薩是象首人身的神祇，被視為掌管繁榮與成功的重要神明，因此其使者也具有神聖地位，不可侵犯。

1927年，印度多地鼠疫肆虐，造成大量死傷，但德薩努克地區卻奇蹟般未受影響。當地人認為，正是因為長期尊崇老鼠、積德行善，才得以幸免於難。此後，對老鼠的崇拜更加深厚，信徒中不僅有普通教徒，還包括學生與新婚夫婦。進廟時必須脫鞋以示尊敬，如果老鼠從腳上爬過，則被視為吉兆，象徵將迎來好運。

總之，卡爾尼馬塔神廟不僅是印度宗教信仰的象徵，更是一個將人與動物、傳說與生活緊密結合的獨特文化現象。信徒對老鼠的敬重，不僅體現宗教虔誠，也反映了印度文化中「生命輪迴」與「尊重萬物」的深厚理念。

In western India, about 30 kilometers south of Bikaner in the town of Deshnok, stands the Karnimata Temple, famously known as the “Rat Temple.” This temple, with a history spanning over five centuries, is renowned for housing tens of thousands of rats that are revered as sacred. Every day, thousands of devotees visit the temple to pay homage, offering food and care to the rats, sometimes even sacrificing their own meals to ensure the animals are well-fed. It is reported that devotees spend over 100,000 rupees monthly to maintain the temple’s rats. Daily rituals include two formal prayer and feeding sessions, during which drums are beaten and chants recited. The rats have developed a conditioned response to these rituals: at the sound of the drums, they swarm from their holes to feast on the offered food and then return to their nests to rest and reproduce.

The temple is specially designed to accommodate the habits of its rodent residents. Walls are drilled with holes to satisfy their digging instincts, and protective nets and guards are installed to prevent cats from entering. Strict temple rules forbid harming the rats under any circumstances. Should a rat be accidentally killed, the devotee must offer a golden rat of equal weight to the temple as compensation. Visitors are also expected to bring food to feed the rats. The reproductive capacity of the temple’s rats is extraordinary; a single pair can theoretically produce nearly 5,000 offspring in a year if all survive. Current estimates suggest that the temple houses over 100,000 rats.

The veneration of rats in Deshnok is rooted in religious legend. It is said that a long time ago, a storyteller’s son fell gravely ill, and when he sought help from the god of death, his soul was placed inside a rat. This was because even after death, a rat’s soul could be reincarnated into a human, continuing the cycle of life. As a result, devotees believe that the rats within the temple may represent deceased relatives, and thus they treat them with utmost respect. Another interpretation holds that rats are the messengers of Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed god of prosperity and success, making the rats themselves sacred.

The temple’s reputation for divine protection was reinforced during the 1927 plague, which devastated much of India but notably spared Deshnok. Locals attributed their safety to their reverence for rats, believing that honoring the animals brought them divine protection. Today, the temple continues to attract a diverse group of devotees, including students and newlyweds. Visitors must remove their shoes before entering, and if a rat climbs over their feet, it is considered a sign of impending good fortune.

The Karnimata Temple is not just a religious site but also a unique cultural phenomenon, blending faith, folklore, and daily life. The devotees’ devotion to the rats reflects both deep religious reverence and the broader Indian cultural values of reincarnation and respect for all forms of life.