Karni Mata Fair

LOCATION : Deshnok in Bikaner, Rajasthan

TIME OF THE YEAR : twice each year (March-April and September-October)

HIGHLIGHTS : Karni Mata temple in stone and marble

SIGNIFICANCE : dedicated to Karni Mata who is highly respected in the state of Rajasthan

Karni Mata fair is held twice every year at Deshnok in Bikaner district of Rajasthan. The first fair held during the Navratras in March-April, is the larger out of the two. The second fair is also held during the Navratras in the months of September-October.

Karni Mata, highly respected in Rajasthan, dedicated her life to the service of the poor. It is believed that she had supernatural powers. The foundation of Deshnok was laid by her and she is worshiped by her followers, Charans. The Karni Mata fair is held each year in her honour.

The Karni Mata temple located in Deshnok is a structure in stone and marble. The temple is also known as Madh. The shrine houses a 75 centimeter image of the deity. The image is embellished with garlands and a mukut (tiara). The children of the Rajputs are brought here for seeking the deity's blessings on Jadula (their first hair cut).

The tourists can visit the temple from 4 in the morning. The priests perform aarti (prayer) and offer bhog (specific food). The pilgrims make offerings that may either be attributed to the priests and the workers of the temple (dwar-bhent) or meant for the maintenance of the temple (kalash-bhent).