Pics: A glimpse into India’s rat temple where over 20,000 rats are worshiped

The Karni Mata Temple in Rajasthan, India

An Indian temple is overrun with more than 20,000 rats - and the devotees couldn't be happier. The Karni Mata Temple in Rajasthan, India, is known for its devotion to the furry animals, often seen as the scourge of urban areas. Rats scurry throughout the temple, where they are worshiped, fed and protected. Devotees have even gone to extreme lengths to protect the species by building netting and grills to keep out predators such as raptors.
More pictures after the cut

The rats are being fed and well taken care of

Priests at the temple treat the furry inhabitants with serious devotion and warn visitors to walk carefully within the temple premises to avoid trampling them. According to the temple rules, stepping accidentally on rat and killing it is a sin. The perpetrator is then bound to buy a gold or silver rat statue and place it in the temple as a payment of sin, the DailyMail reports.

Special food preparation for the rats

Worshipers from all over the world queue to enter the rat's temple