Temple on Heights: Shri Manshapurna Karni Mata

Karni Mata temple Shri Manshapurna Karni Mata Temple, is a temple dedicated to the female Hindu sage, Karni Mata.  This temple is located on Machla Hills, near Deendayal Upadhyay Park in midst of natural beauty.  Being situated at high point of the city, one can get panoramic view of Lake Pichola, Lake Palace, Sajjangarh Fort and Dudh Talai Park. One can reach to the temple either by stairs starting from Manikyalal Verma Park or by ropeway. An early morning trek to the temple can relieve one from thousands of stressful thoughts, thanks to the scenic location, the fresh and pure air and the much needed tranquility. Legend of Karni Mata Legend has it that Karni Mata was born in 1387 AD in village Suwap near Phalodi in Jodhpur district of Rajasthan.  She was born as the seventh daughter in Charan family and worshiped as a reincarnation of goddess Durga.  It is believed that she restored life of her dead son who reincarnated as rat and since then all her relatives take birth as rats after death and stay together as family. History of the Temple Between the years 1620 to 1628, Maharana Karan Singh developed a residential area at Machla Magra for Udaipur’s safety. It was during this time that the Karni Mata Temple was built. Though for a long period the temple was deserted, in 1997 Shri Manshapurna Karni Mata Development Committee rebuilt it. Special features of the Karni Mata Temple There are white rats in this temple that are considered holy and, as per popular belief, feeding them brings fortune. Yet another belief is that visiting Devi Maa and worshipping her during morning and evening hours fulfills wishes and adds longevity to life. It is a 10 minute journey on a well constructed way starting from Manikyalal Verma Park. A ropeway has also started from June 2009. The Ropeway The ropeway, that connects the Temple at Machla Hill Top and Deendayal Upadhyay Park, was built by Businessman Kailash Khandelwal in collaboration with UIT. The ropeway links the two places through a fixed grip mono cable of 387 meters. In ordinary days four Gondolas run to and fro, which are increased to six on special occasions. While traversing in Gondolas between mountains on the Bank of Lake Pichola, a captivating aerial view of Udaipur’s richness and natural beauty accompanies the visitor up to the Temple. The Bliss After reaching Karni Mata Temple, one doesn’t need any instructions or guidelines as the mind, body and soul are so engrossed in the complete bliss of the present moment. Natural spree and simplicity of the environment magnetize each visitor. This old temple with its humble structure has its own importance and religious significance. So much so that each Udaipurite would willingly join and chant Jai Karni Mata!!