After a good nights sleep and a buffet breakfast that meant we could have something different from the usual butter toast and omelette and I was feeling more optimistic than the day before, although still annoyed with myself. A wee visit to the Karni Mata Temple in Deshnok just outside Bikaner though and all grievances were forgotten. This place needed all my attention!

According to legend, Karni Mata, a 14th century incarnation of Durga, asked the god of death, Yama, to restore to life the son of a grieving storyteller. When Yama refused, Karni Mata reincarnated all dead storytellers as rats, depriving Yama of human souls. Hence this temple is teeming with little brown rats that are either scurrying around all over the place or perched on the edge of big bowls filled with food or milk filled up by the temple priests. It's considered auspicious if the kabas (holy rodents) scamper over your feet and very lucky if you spot a rare white rat! I think I'll let Dan go inside the temple and take pics, I'll just stick to the courtyard where I can get a good view of the nipping little critters in all directions.