Karni Mata fair

Karni Mata fair is held twice a year at Deshnok, a small town near Nokha in Bikaner district. The first and larger fair is held in March-April during the Navratras from Chaitra Shukla Ekam to Chaitra Shukla Dashmi. The second fair is held in September-October, also during the Navratras, from Ashvin Shukla to Ashwin Shukla Dashmi.

The Karni Mata temple at Deshnok is constructed of stone and marble structure. Also known as Madh, the temple houses a 75 cm statue of Karni Mata, ornamented with a mukut (tiara) and garlands. There are also images of the sisters of Karni Mata and Avad Mata. It is a ritual among the Rajputs to bring their children to the temple for their first hair cut. The cut hairs of the children are placed at Mata's feet for her blessing.

The temple is thrown open to the public early in the morning at 4.00 a.m. Charan priests perform Mangla-Ki-Aarti and offer bhog (special food) as worship. A peculiar characteristic of the temple is the legion of brown cats roaming about in large numbers in the temple. They are considered auspicious and the devotees make offerings. Two kinds of offerings, the 'dwar-bhent' is attributed to the priests and the workers. The 'kalash-bhent' is utilised for the temple maintenance and development.