Tanot Mata Mandir, Jaisalmer: The Mandir Where Enemy Bombs Failed!

By Author: Puja N Pujari
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The Famous Tanot Mata Mandir Bomb Story

Tanot Mata Mandir in Jaisalmer is an iconic temple for Indian soldiers posted on the Rajasthan border. The Tanot Mata Mandir bomb story has become a recognized legend. The influence is such that the Tanot Mata Mandir is also shown in the Hindi movie “Border.”

The Border Security Force personnel does the maintenance of the Mandir. The soldiers at the Rajasthan border customarily stopped by at the Tanot Mata Mandir. Such is the aura of the temple that any soldier first applies a teeka of sand on their foreheads at the Mandir and then moves towards the border.

Tanot Mata Mandir History

According to the local lore, the Tanot Mata Mandir is some 1200 years old. The daughter of Mamadji Charan, known as Avad, is worshipped as the Tanot Mata. The Tanot Mata or Avad Mata is considered an incarnation of Hinglaj Mata and a predecessor to Karni Mata, a form of Durga Mata.

The story of Tanot Mata Mandir comes from Charan literature. As per the story, Mamadji Charan was childless and visited Hinglaj Mata multiple times barefoot.naked. One night the Hinglaj ...
... Mata comes into his dream impressed by his devotion. In the dream, he asks Hinglaj Mata to be born in his family as his daughter. With the blessings of the Mata, Mamadji had seven daughters and one son. Of the seven daughters, daughter Avad became the Tanot Mata.

The Tanot Mata Mandir was constructed, and the Bhati Rajput King Tanu Rao placed the deity in 828 A.D. Since then, the temple has been devotedly worshipped by the Bhati Rajputs and the people of Jaisalmer for generations.

Tanot Mata Mandir Bomb Story of 1965 War

The 1965 India-Pakistan war is legendary in Indian history. As per the legend, the Pakistani army bombed the Tanot Mata mandir. Over 3000 bombs on Sadewala, a post near Tanot Mata temple, were dropped in two days. Yet the Tanot Mata mandir stood still unscathed.

Surprisingly, not one bomb met the target, and the ones that fell near the Mandir didn’t explode. Many soldiers claimed that the Tanot Mata herself came in their dreams and promised to protect them, especially in the vicinity of the temple.

After India won the war, the Border Security Force took on the responsibility of management and the pooja of the temple.

Tanot Mata Bomb Story of 1971 War

Can you believe a company of 120 army men can defeat a tank battalion of 2000-3000 men and 30 – 40 tanks? This heroic feat was achieved by Indian soldiers led by Major Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri at the Longewala post near the Tanot Mata Mandir.

The tanks of the Pakistani army got stuck in the sand near the post of Longewala on the night of December 4, 1971, when India was busy liberating Bangladesh in the east. Because of this, the Indian Air Force got time to attack and destroy the battalion. This time too, the bombs fell near the Mandir but didn’t explode. Thus, the faith and belief in Tanot Mata became more robust, and the fame of the Tanot Mata Mandir Bomb Story grew.

Following the victory in both wars against impossible odds, any soldier posted in Jaisalmer visits the Tanot Mata Mandir to take permission and blessings from Tanot Mata.

Tanot Mata Mandir: A Tourist Destination of Jaisalmer

Tanot Mata Mandir is approximately 120 km away from Jaisalmer. The India-Pakistan border is very close to the temple. Tanot mata mandir to border distance is just around 20 km. It is very close to both the Sadewala and Longewala border posts, which were attacked in the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars.

The Border Security Force personnel in charge of the day-to-day maintenance of the temple has proposed to convert the site into a significant tourist destination equivalent to the scale of the Wagah border. After each war, the prestige and faith in Tanot Mata increased, and with it expanded, the temple premises.

An additional museum is maintained by the Indian Army right next to the Tanot Mata Mandir main complex. The museum houses the bombs which didn’t blast near the temple. These bombs serve as living proof of the grace of Tanot Mata.

Do pay a visit to Tanot Mata Mandir whenever there is a planned tour of Rajasthan or Jaisalmer. In order to visit Tanot Mata Mandir, one needs to reach Jaisalmer. Jaisalmer can be reached by railways and roadways. The nearest airport to Jaisalmer is Jodhpur Airport. Once you reach Jaisalmer, you can either hire a taxi or book a bus at your convenience. Jaisalmer to Tanot Mata taxi fare starts from ₹1500. Jaisalmer to Tanot Mata bus timetable varies according to the service provider. General bus timings for the state transport buses are at 16:00 from Jaisalmer to Tanot, whereas the return is on the next day at 7:00 in the morning. There aren’t any hotels nearby, but army-provided accommodation is available near the temple for a night’s stay.

Apart from the Tanot Mandir and the museum, tourists can also visit the Sadewala and Longewala posts where the 1965 and 1971 wars were fought.

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