Tanot Mata Temple

The Tanot Mata Temple is situated in the Tanot village of district Jaisalmer, which is a major attraction for those visiting the Thar Desert in Rajasthan. It is enveloped within numerous legends that are sure to instill awe and curiosity towards its sacred power and purity. The heritage site is preserved and maintained by the Border Security Force (BSF) of India since the Indo-Pakistan war in 1971.

At the Longewala border, the story of Tanot Temple is one such miraculous tale when the local deity Tanot aka Awad Mata didn't let any Pakistani tank bomb explode and Indian soldiers who were certain of martyrdom and defeat went on to crush the Pakistanis in both 1965 as well as 1971 wars. It is said that in both wars more than 3,000 bombs were dropped either in the vicinity or while of the temple, but none exploded. In 1965, after India defeated Pakistan, BSF established a post inside the temple premises and took charge of proceedings of Pooja of the deity, Tanot Mata. The temple till date is handled by BSF and one can see some of those bombs in the Museum built by BSF inside the temple premises.
Tanot Mata Temple is one of the best places to explore in the Thar Desert in Rajasthan.

Tanot Mata History
Goddess Tanot is believed to be the incarnation of Goddess Hinglaz which is located in the Lasvela district of Baluchistan. In 847 AD foundation of Goddess, Tanot was kept and the idol was installed. Generation of Bhati Rajput takes care of this temple.

Earlier during the Indo-Pak war of 1965, Tanot Mata temple did not even touch by targeted bombs by Pakistan Army whereas all the bombs did not explode which falls in the vicinity of the temple due to Goddess Tanot divine power.

Those unexploded bombs now can be seen in the Tanot Mata temple museum. After the war, the Border Security Force of India continues to manage this holy temple to date. Located very close to the battle site of Longewala- Jaisalmer, visitors cannot go beyond the temple.

How To Reach Tanot Mata Temple
One can reach Tanot Mata Temple from Air, Railway and Road. It is located at a distance of 120 km from the city of Jaisalmer.
By Air: Nearest Airport to the city of Jaisalmer is Jodhpur Airport from where can hire a cab to Jaisalmer which will take around 4 hours. From Jaisalmer, one can hire a private taxi to reach Tanot Mata Temple which will take approximately 2 hours.
By Railway: Jaisalmer Railway Station is located 123.1 km away from Tanot Mata Temple. One can reach Jaisalmer through Railways and can further take a cab to cover the distance of 2 hours.
By Road: The best way to reach Tanot Mata temple is by road from Jaisalmer. It is located at a distance of 120 km from Jaisalmer and takes around 1 hour and 52 minutes to reach.