Long before a tobacco-chewing dacoit with an evil grin scorched the silver screen with his manic laughter in the 1975 Bollywood cult Sholay, the real-life Gabbar Singh was unleashing terror across three states from his hideout in the ravines of Chambal—pillaging, plundering, killing; and cutting off noses of policemen his gang caught. The 1950s-1970s were the heydays of several gangs of dacoits operating from Chambal—the wild west of India in the hilly terrain cut through by the Chambal river. This was—and still is—the home to hundreds of Hindu temples, big and small. For the bandits, the ruling deities were the guardian angels. This is the story of Chambal’s dacoits and their enduring love for the temples that gave them sanctuary.