Balochistan’s Hinglaj Mata Temple
Published in The Baloch Hal on October 1, 2013
The Hinglaj Mata Temple is situated in a desolated and hilly area of Balochistan’s Lasbela District. It is quite famous in all over the Sub-contient, especially among many Kuldevi, Kshatriya and other Hindu communities of India because it is a Hindu pilgrimage place in Balochistan, Pakistan.
It is approximately 250 km (155 miles) from Karachi, Pakistan’s most populated city. Moreover, it is near the peak of one of the mountains of the Makran Coastal Range. And from the Indus Delta River and the Arabian Sea, it is 120 km. The area of Hinglaj Mata Temple is located in the rugged mountains, and its journey is extremely tiring.
The pilgrimage of Hinglaj Mata Temple is also famous among the local Muslims, particularly the Zikri Balochs (predominantly an ethnic Baloch group). They call it “Nani Ki Haj.”
There are water kunds (pits) in proximity to Hinglaj Shrine; these are: Til Kund, Kheer Kund or Briham Kund, Khali kund and Maha Kali kund at up to the stream of the river Hingol, going downwards to the Hinglaj Mata and kali Mata kunds.
It is said about Til kund that Black Til (corn) when rubbed with hands in Til kund water still becomes white. And about Kheer Kund, it is famous that mailk used to fall, but, presently, water of springs fall through Herb “Mamera” and it is very beneficial for eye sight. Maha Kund is at a height in the mountain.
There are also worship places of Ganesh Deva, Asha Pura Mata, Hanumanji, Mata Kali, Gru Gorakh Nath, Gru Nanik, Ramjarokha, Bethak, Aneel Kund on Chorsi Mountain, Braham Kund, Kali Kund and Maha Kali Kund. In the way, Chandra Goop, Khari Nadi, Aghora Pooja and the main pilgrimage place which is the Asthan of Mata Hinglaj Devi.Kali Matha Asthan
Kali Mata Asthan is few yards away in amountain cave from Aashapura where a Murti of Kali Mata is fixed.
At this place, devotees offer Coconut, Chunri, Agarbati, Missri, Khoya, Bali (goat sacrifice) and Pooja Arti ceremony, which is performed over there.
Predominantly the Baloch ethnic group, Zikris, are also followers of this Devi. They also worship here and call it “Nani Matha.”
In front of Kali Murti, there is a large pit of water, which comes from up stream.
In front of Kali Murti, there is a large pit of water, which comes from up stream.
Hinglaj Asthan
It is the main pilgrimage place for devotees where there is a small old Temple in a cave of mountain in original form with open place for devotees. Here yagan, which is offered by devotees favoured with Darshan of Hinglaj Mata. They take sacred bath in Hinglaj Kund (Pit), which is in front it. Then, after that, devotees go through Gorabh Parsav ceremony under the ground channel, under Hinglaj Mata Murti to complete Yatra. In the past, devotees would be called “Kapris,” who used to adopt sanyas, renunciation, thereafter, by wearing Mala of Tharma.Guru Gorakh Shilla (Stone)
It is a big piece of about 15 feet diameter and 12 feet high lying of Hinglaj Shrine. It is, as the Hindu people say, to have been thrown by Guru Gorakh Nath from the Chorsi Mountain, which is at about 2 km away from here and its diameter is equal to present Aneel Kund (water well) on the Chorsi Mountain. On this mountain, Agarbati Dhopp, Namaskher is made.
They also say that the pilgrims, who cannot climb up the Chorsi Mountain, take four rounds around this big stone.
This writer was further updated about the Hinglaj Shrine that before pre-partitition days, Rajput King used to come to Hinglaj Shrine for performing pilgrimage from Rajistan and Gujrat provinces of Indus. And at that very time, there were no roads. The devotees had to pass through jungles, sandy routes, deserts, mountains, and rivers, full of danger on the back of camels. It would also take months in travelling. But unlike previous times, it has now become easy to travel to Matha Hinglaj Asthan.They further added, “The devotees from all over the world would come to the Hinglaj Matha Teerath since centuries. Rven Hindus Rama Avatar,Great Guru Nanik, Mekhan Avatar of laxman, and other great saints, Rishis and Hindu scholars paid visit to Hinglaj Matha Teerath.”
Sham Kumar, a prominent Hindu scholar based in Balochistan, said: ” Hindu sect, Nath Panthis, whose founder was Gru Gork Nath, used to visit this shrine in 6, 00 A.D. Also, the Sindhi mystic poet, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, would visit the Hinglaj Shrine. He has written a poem about Hinglaj Mata Temple”.
In recent years, devotees from Africa and European countries have visited and performedHinglaj Matha Teerath.
Undoubtedly, Hinglaj Matha Temple has remained famous even in Mahabharet period.Samrat Vikramjeet, the king of India also visited Hinglaj Matha Temple for performing pilgrimage after conquering the all India.
Raja Todarmal of Mughal regime visited Hinglaj matha Temple, too.
Raja Todarmal of Mughal regime visited Hinglaj matha Temple, too.
Besides them, other well known names who visited Hinglaj Shrine are: Bihari Ma, Raja Bhaj Singh, Raja Madho Singh, Raja Jagat Singh, of Jaipur, Dada Mekhan, the great saint of Gujrat, who was first called Kapris of Matha and, after this, all the devotees are called Kapris (who wear Mala in their necks), visited Hinglaj Matha Teerath.
Moreover, there is a much famous story among the Hindus about the Hinglaj Mata Temple that the daughter of Prajapati Daksha, Sati, married to the God Shiva against her father’s wishes. Due to this reason, Daksha organized a great Yajna, but didn’t invite Sati and Shiva. Uninvited, Sati reached the yajna-site, where Daksha ignored Sati and vilified Shiva. Then, after that, Sati couldn’t withstand this insult. She committed suicide by jumping into the sacrificial fire. Sati died but her dead body didn’t burn. After that the grief-stricken Shiva wandered the universe with the corpse of Sati. Lastly, God Vishnu cut up the body of Sati into 52 parts. The Head of Sati is believed to have fallen at Hinglaj.
Unlike previous times, pathetically, Hindus are now living dangerously in Balochistan. They, after visiting the Hinglaj Mata Temple, were less in number over there. In the past, Hindus would be visible in large number in the mountains of Hinglaj Matha. They would nonchalantly come from inside and outside of the country to visit Hinglaj Mata Teerath. But now it is the condition that they cannot visit the Hinglaj Mata Temple from its contigous districts.As compared to other districts of Balochistan, Lasbella District, where Hingal Temple is situated, is considered to be safe for the Hindus. And, there are many Hindus, who have settled in Lasbella District of the other places of Balochistan.
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“The Baloch and Hindus have been living just like brothers for centuries. We even attend each other funerals. And it is manifest to everyone that the Baloch and Hindus are facing alike problems. They are not complainants about the Baloch people. They, if you ask, call themselves Baloch and they are Balochs,” said Asif Magsi, who is a resident in Lasbella District of Balochistan.
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“The Baloch and Hindus have been living just like brothers for centuries. We even attend each other funerals. And it is manifest to everyone that the Baloch and Hindus are facing alike problems. They are not complainants about the Baloch people. They, if you ask, call themselves Baloch and they are Balochs,” said Asif Magsi, who is a resident in Lasbella District of Balochistan.
Lastly, the present government of Dr. Malik Baloch ought to resolve the manifold issues of the Hindus, at any cost. They are pioneers of this land, i.e., Balochistan. They are living since time immemorial over here. Therefore the problems of the Hindus must be resolved so that they may live peacefully and visit Hinglaj Mata Temple without any fear.The writer is doing a research on the Balochistan based Hindus. Twitter: @Akbar_notezai Email: akbarnotezai@yahoo.com
http://thebalochhal.com/2013/10/01/the-hinglaj-mata-temple/