BY- JAYA CHOUDHARY

It is not incorrect to refer to India as a "country of temples." It is the only place on the planet where people believe in the presence of 33 million gods and goddesses. Among the numerous temples, there are some strange temples in India as well. These mysterious temples are famous for their unusual deities, some for their bizarre disappearance stories, and others for unique offerings.

Kodungallur Bhagavathy Temple

The Kodungallur Bhagavathy Temple falls under this list since it is the only shrine where followers disrespect the goddess during a celebration. The Kodungallur Bhagavathy Temple in Kerala's Thrissur region is devoted to the Bhadrakali deity, a manifestation of Goddess Kali. During the Bharani festival, which takes place in March or April each year, worshipers yell obscene, disrespectful, and abusive shouts at the goddess. This rite is meant to delight the deity. The process of cleansing, however, begins the very following day. As a form of worship, hundreds of worshippers angrily storm at their goddess.

Kamakhya Devi Temple

The Maa Kamakhya Devi Temple, one of India's most prominent shrines, is located on top of the Nilachal Hill in Guwahati, Assam. It is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas on the Indian subcontinent also one of the oldest. The temple does not have a sculpture to worship, but it does feature the yoni (vagina) of Devi Sati, Lord Shiva's wife, draped in a silk sari. The goddess menstruates every year during the monsoon season, and the temple is shut for three days. It is also the time when the Tantric fertility festival, or Ambubachi Mela, is held here, lasting until the fourth day, when the temple reopens.

Karni Mata Temple

This temple, located near Bikaner, is famed for the hundreds of rats that swarm around it. This marble and Mughal-style shrine must be visited before sunrise or after nightfall to watch the rats at work! Devotees gather to give the rats milk, grains, candies, and coconut shells that are stored on huge plates. They store the offerings in the shrine's corners, where the rats congregate. It's considered holy to eat the leftovers of the rats. It is also sacred if a white rat crawls up your leg.

Stambheshwar Mahadev Temple

Gujarat is a popular tourist destination in India with a lot of intriguing sites to visit. One such site is the Stambheswar temple, located near Vadodara, which is famous for the enigma of vanishing and reappearing. The Mahadev temple on the Arabian Sea's coasts, dedicated to Lord Shiva, may only be visited when the tides are low because it has been observed that during high tides, the temple is totally swallowed up by the sea, leaving no sign of the shrine until the water recedes. It's interesting how the temple emerges after only a few hours.

Kal Bhairav Nath Temple

Lord Kal Bhairav Nath, a reincarnation of Lord Shiva, lives in the holy city of Varanasi. Believe it or not, the only offerings presented to God here are alcoholic beverages, such as whiskey or wine. Alcohol is poured straight into the deity's open mouth and served as Prasad to worshipers. Contrasting to other businesses outside shrines in Varanasi that sell flowers and sweets as offerings, the stalls outside the Kal Bhairav Nath temple solely sell booze.

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Om Banna or Bullet Baba's Temple

One of the strangest and mysterious temples of all is the Bullet Baba's Temple which is linked with yet another mystery. According to the residents of Pali, Rajasthan, the Bullet Baba temple was built in memory of Om Singh Rathore, who died in a terrible accident in the area. The Bullet bike he was riding on was brought into police custody, but the next morning it was weirdly located near the scene of the collision. The police on duty thought it was a hoax and drained the petrol tank and locked the bike, but the next day it was found parked at the same spot again. Travelers who are aware of this strange narrative pay their respects to the shrine that houses the Bullet Enfield bike and the statue of Om Banna.