Karni Mata
| Karni | |
|---|---|
| Goddess of War The Invincible One Incarnation of Durga |
|
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| Other names | Ridhu Bai |
| Devanagari | करणी माता |
| Affiliation | Charans and Rajputs |
| Abode | Western Rajasthan |
| Planet | Earth |
| Weapon | Trident |
| Consort | Lord Shiva |
| Mount | Lion |
Karni Mata (Hindi: करणी माता or Karniji; date of birth and death unknown but traditionally believed by followers to be 2 October 1387 – 23 March 1538,) was a female Hindu warrior sage born in the Charan caste. Also known as Shri Karniji Maharaj, she is worshiped as the incarnation of the warrior goddess Durga by her followers. She is an official deity of the royal family of Jodhpur and Bikaner. She lived an ascetic life and was widely revered during her own lifetime. At the request of the Maharajas of Bikaner and Jodhpur, she laid the foundation stones of Bikaner Fort and Mehrangarh Fort, the two most important forts in the region. The most famous of her temples is in the small town of Deshnoke, near Bikaner in Rajasthan, and was created following her mysterious disappearance from her home. The temple is famous for its white rats, which are treated as sacred and given protection in the temple. Another temple dedicated to her during her lifetime differs from others in that it does not contain an image or idol of her, but rather contains a foot-print to symbolize her visit to that place. Karni mata is also referred to as Nari Bai.
According to tradition, Karni mata was originally the wife of depoji Charan of the village of Sathika. However, she later expressed to her husband her unwillingness to engage in matrimonial relations. He initially humoured her, thinking that she would relent in time. Instead of doing so, Karni arranged for him to marry her own younger sister, Gulab, so that he might have a proper married life. She herself remained celibate all her life, with the concurrence and support of her husband.
Karni lived in her in-laws' village for about two years before leaving with her followers and a herd of cattle to live a nomadic life, camping at sunset. One such camp was made at the village of Jangloo; but a servant of Rao Kanha, who was ruler of the place, denied them access to water for the people and cows. Karni Mata declared her follower, Rao Ridmal of Chandasar, as new ruler of the village and continued on her journey. When she reached near Deshnok, Rao Kanha himself came to oppose her camping but he died. Karni Mata stopped wandering further, and settled there. Her husband Depoji died in 1454.
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Wikipedia