Pakistanis Fired 400 Shells at Indian Temple, Not Destroy: Fact Check

Story:

Pakistanis Fired over 400 Bomb Shells at this Indian Temple in 1965 but could not Destroy it.

Fact Check:

A story shared often on social media sites in India states that Pakistanis Fired over 400 Bomb Shells at the Tanot Temple in India in 1965, but could not Destroy it. As detailed below, the claim is a fact.

About the Tanot Temple

Tanot Mateshwari (Goddess) temple is around 1,200-year-old, located at Tanot village on Indo-Pak border, deep in the Thar Desert in western Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district. The Tanot Mateshwari temple has been famous by the name of Bammowali Devi, and is also known as Jawanon ki Devi (Goddess of Soldiers).

Picture of Tanot Mateshwari Temple — Tanot Mateshwari Temple

The Mysterious Incidents During Indo-Pak War

A document in Rajasthan Frontier website of Border Security Force (BSF) of India (raj.bsf.gov.in) describes the history of the Tanot mata temple mentioning two mysterious incidents during the Indo-Pak war in 1965 and 1971. It is said that in the month of October 1965 Pakistan Army had advanced deep inside Indian territory from Kishangarh and Sadewala, but the area in between where the Tanot temple is located could not be overrun despite heavy pounding by Artillery and fierce fighting. Pakistan Army fired more than 3000 artillery and mortar shells in the area around temple, but perhaps due to the divine power of Tanot mata, it is said that most of the shells went blind and what so ever exploded could not cause much damage. Locals also mentioned that the Tanot mata appeared in the dreams of some soldiers and assured them of protection if they do not leave the premises of temple. During the attack, the Indian troops fought valiantly and won the battle as the Pakistan Army had to make a hasty retreat.

Again during the historic battle of 1971, when Pakistan Army launched sudden attack in Longewala in the night of 4th December, the Indian army, drawing inspiration and spiritual strength from the Tanot temple, destroyed hundreds of enemy’s tanks and vehicles before the Pakistan forces ran back to their country. Describing the temple and the two incidents, an article on the Times of India website timesofindia.indiatimes.com reports that even the jawans and commanders of Pakistan were quite surprised by the miracles of Tanot temple.

Popularity of Tanot Temple

After India defeated Pakistan in the 1965 war, then Brigadier Khan was quite impressed with the miracle of Tanot Mata and presented a silver umbrella. Rajasthan government has built a Vijay Stambh at the entrance of Tanot mata temple. After 1971 war, the BSF took over the management of temple, and even the priest is a jawan of 135 Battalion BSF. In the video you can see aarti ceremony at the Tanot Temple performed by BSF jawans.

Few unexploded bombs from the 1965 Indo-Pak war are kept in the Tanot mata temple museum for public viewing. The Tanot Mateshwari temple, which became a popular tourist destination later, is also seen in well-known Bollywood movie ‘Border’. Due to the ‘miracles’ that happened in the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars, the Tanot temple has been a great source of inspiration for troops of BSF and Army deployed in this region.