In the desert near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, close to the western border, stands the Tanot Mata temple, dedicated to the Goddess Tanot Mata, revered as a form of the great Mother in the tradition of Hinglaj and Karni Mata. The shrine became famous across India during the wars of 1965 and 1971, when, tradition and popular memory hold, many shells and bombs fell upon and around the temple but none exploded — protected, devotees believe, by the Mother's grace.
Since then the temple has been lovingly maintained by the soldiers of the Border Security Force, who revere the Goddess as their guardian. Tanot Mata is a place of deep faith and devotion in the western desert.
