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Strange religion in India - temple devoted to rats

magazinely.com — Believe it or not, in a small village in India lays a beautiful temple devoted to rats. Every day hundreds of worshipers of the Hindu goddess Shri Karniji make the long pilgrimage to this shrine. Goddess is reputed to have lived for 151 years, and was capable of miracles. Her followers consider that all people reincarnate as rats, and vice versa.

Who dugg this? Made popular Dec 14, 2008

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  • michaelpinto, on 12/13/2008, -2/+53We live in a society devoted to money — how is that any less strange?
  • inactive, on 12/13/2008, -6/+46How is this is stranger than worshiping the jewish zombie?
  • kooredaan, on 12/14/2008, -2/+23What isn't a strange religion......At least I've seen a rat. :D
  • polumrak, on 12/14/2008, -1/+22That's no stranger that this cult I've heard about, where people are worshipping a dead god, who is his own son. Weird.
  • inactive, on 12/14/2008, -3/+18Strange religion? Isn't that a pleonasm?
  • mstachiw, on 12/13/2008, -2/+17They should build a temple in the lower west side of Manhattan. The rats by Canal Street are of godlike proportions.
  • Surferess, on 12/13/2008, -5/+17Ah rats!
  • GorfTron, on 12/14/2008, -2/+13It seems, our god is angry with us.
  • granolajoe, on 12/13/2008, -3/+14I like rodents, so I'd be cool with chillin' in the rat palace sometime
  • yekutibekuti, on 12/14/2008, -1/+12At least something REAL resides in there.
  • jukilimbur, on 12/14/2008, -0/+10It's not that strange. Lord Ganesh's mode of transport is a mouse. Many Hindu gods have pet animals as sacred beings for some purpose. Lord Shiva has a cow called Nandi. Nandi has several temples devoted to her.

    In any case, there's a big difference between a rat and a mouse. Look it up. I enjoyed reading the article but some research into cultures wouldn't hurt before these bloggers-writers weave fun these silly tales for their 15 mins.

    Btw, "mistery" is spelled as "mystery".
  • Albaster, on 12/14/2008, -1/+10Personally, I think that worshipping rats is not stranger than worshipping some bearded, semi-naked guy nailed to a cross.
  • palehorse864, on 12/14/2008, -2/+11How long have you been waiting to squeeze that into a conversation? ~ Seinfeld
  • honeybrass, on 12/14/2008, -0/+8My house is a temple devoted to rats. They go in and out at will, eat anything they want, and seem to have divine protection against poisons.
  • pintomp3, on 12/14/2008, -0/+7and the rats we worship are on wall street. we give them only the best government cheese.
  • chicachoc, on 12/14/2008, -0/+6In Kerala (one of the southern states of India), there is one for snakes too.
    Sounds terrifying/disgusting but it's really something else when you visit.
  • arvvvs, on 12/14/2008, -0/+6You gotta admit these rats must be really tame cause, they a) look cute b) they climbed up one guy and didn't bite him...
    if humans and rats can live together why not humans and humans

  • inactive, on 12/14/2008, -0/+6One of the rats is doing the same thing he does every night - try to take over the world!
  • marioara, on 12/14/2008, -0/+5the flying spaghetti monster is to so much better!
  • Spideristic, on 12/14/2008, -0/+5http://pixarplanet.com/blog/images/6.jpg
  • bharadwajharish, on 12/14/2008, -1/+6It's India..land of Uniqueness
  • bliz, on 12/14/2008, -0/+4This was featured in the first amazing race. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amazing_Race_1#Le ...
  • craighoxton, on 12/13/2008, -6/+10Hokey religions are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid
  • FamilyGuy, on 12/14/2008, -0/+4I'm picturing a rat in a dark alley somewhere rubbing his hands together saying, "Yes! Yes! The infiltration of the human race is almost complete!"
  • Komodork, on 12/14/2008, -0/+4The Rat is considered sacred because it was Ganesh's ( the Hindu god with the elephant head) transportation. Ganesh is often shown riding or being attended by the rat/mouse. I'm not sure if this is the same temple where if you kill the rat, you have to pay its weight in silver.
  • peesu, on 12/14/2008, -0/+4How is "gold" jewelry cheap?
  • str3ama, on 12/14/2008, -0/+4yawn, still doesn't beat worshipping an immaculate zombie, or L Ron. Hubbard .
  • GlobalRef, on 12/14/2008, -0/+4not afraid of rats but still, must be dirty a bit, they do carried microbes!
  • junkneo, on 12/14/2008, -0/+4Ratcism
  • lead2thehead, on 12/14/2008, -1/+4We have one of those on capital hill.
  • jwb4, on 12/14/2008, -1/+4Or catholic communion and transubstantiation.
  • bsmang, on 12/14/2008, -0/+3Yeah, and he's very, very bad. He forgives all your sins - totally clears out your conscience for you - thus enabling you to sin in any away you desire.
  • inactive, on 12/14/2008, -0/+3Word?
  • protoopus, on 12/14/2008, -0/+3that was in a tori amos video:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viFvXzy3NkE
  • mastazed, on 12/14/2008, -0/+3i actually learned about this place from wildboyz with the dudes from jackass
  • mstachiw, on 12/14/2008, -0/+3From time to time and usually at night.

    Seen one years ago leaving a club with friends... thought it was a large cat or possum (which is also part of local urban wildlife) but it was a rat (fat and about 14 inches). Was biggest I've ever encountered and knocking around a large cardboard box for food.

    Very recently I went to a small storage building to get an item serviced. While talking with the business rep I seen a rat just running across the floor.

    The closer you get to the Hudson River (Industrial/shipping district) the more frequently you'll see them.
  • inactive, on 12/15/2008, -0/+3yeah, they're the only ones who have done that....
  • zombie210, on 12/14/2008, -1/+4How is this any weirder than other "mainstream" religions? lol
  • inactive, on 12/14/2008, -0/+2Thanks, that was very informative.
  • blankfrack, on 12/14/2008, -1/+3Are they strange in India ?
  • GlobalRef, on 12/14/2008, -0/+2do u see them in the streets???
  • AGONYTUESDAY, on 12/14/2008, -0/+2this was on Ribley's Believe it or Not like....8 years ago.
  • polumrak, on 12/14/2008, -1/+3Can you point to some "for dummies" books or articles on hinduism?
  • hard2kill, on 12/13/2008, -1/+3There is a vid on the site :) I think that is what u saw on TV...
  • inactive, on 12/14/2008, -0/+2right on
  • Inaktivist, on 12/14/2008, -0/+2Digg is like a temple devoted to old.
  • PrintScrn12, on 12/14/2008, -0/+2These guys better pray the parishioners of the nearby cat temple never make a visit.
  • kreatr, on 12/14/2008, -1/+3yeah its strange here too...
  • gibb, on 12/14/2008, -0/+2I saw this on Paul Merton in India - If you live in the UK you can watch the episode here - http://demand.five.tv/Episode.aspx?episodeBaseName ... - Otherwise proxies FTW
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