DESHNOK - RAT TEMPLE - FEBRUARY 20

On our way to Deshnok Rat Temple, 30 km south of Bikaner, we stop again in Kheechan, in case there are more demoiselle cranes than yesterday. It seems they are gone for good or it is too late. The guy told us yesterday they got their food quite early.

The landscape all along the way is still desert-like.

............ The road is in very good state and the traffic is made mainly of trucks, some of them being overloaded. ...

It takes us about 4 hours to reach the Karni Mata Rat Temple in Deshnok, that is said to be an unusual experience. The Karni Mata Temple is an important Jain pilgrimage site.

The temple itself is fine and there are thousands of rats around. They get lots of food, bowls of milk and water. They sometimes run over your feet, which is a blessing, and of course, one must not do any harm to them. It should also bring good luck, seeing the white rat. I was lucky I saw it twice, now, let’s see if I am more lucky in the future. I could take its photo though, as it was too quick and disappeared into a hole. The temple is full of worshippers and it is quite strange to see the whole thing. Seeing so many rats is not as bad as one could think, they are rather cute.................................

The square in front of the temple is full of shops, selling food and souvenirs......

We then continue our trip and decide not to stay in Bikaner, but continue to the Shekhawati region, a bit further away. ......We arrive in Fatehpur, 116 km east of Bikaner, just before sunset. We find our hotel right away, as it is just off the NH 11. The hotel is the RTDC Hotel Haveli and it looks very nice, with a nice inner patio. It is like it was a luxury hotel, but is pretty much abandoned, due to lack of funds or willing to renovate it. Our rooms are huge. The plumbing is a bit strange however, the shower being just above a switch…. Seems quite dangerous to us, so we don’t use the shower, but the buckets instead. We have dinner at the hotel and the food is very good. We enjoy it a lot and the cook is happy about it.