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| Hinglaj Mata ہنگلاج ماتا | |
|---|---|
हिग्लाज माता जी | |
 Sanctum of Hinglaj Mata mandir | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Lasbela District |
| Deity | Hinglaj Mata (an aspect of goddessDurga) |
| Festivals | Four Day Theerth Yatra in April,Navaratri |
| Location | |
| Location | Hinglaj |
| State | Balochistan |
| Country | Pakistan |
  Location within Balochistan. Show map of Balochistan, Pakistan Hinglaj (Pakistan) Show map of Pakistan Hinglaj (Asia) Show map of Asia | |
| Coordinates | 25.0°30′50″N65.0°30′55″E / 25.51389°N 65.51528°E /25.51389; 65.51528 |
Hinglaj (Devanagari:हिंगलाज,Balochi:هنگلاج,Sindhi:هنگلاج,Urdu:ﮨنگلاج) is an importantHindu pilgrimage place inBalochistan,Pakistan and Kuldevi of manyRajput,Jat,Charan,Rajpurohits and other Hindu Communities of India.[1] It is situated inBalochistan province about 250 km west-northwest ofKarachi.[2] TheShri Hinglaj Mata mandir which is the largest Hindu pilgrimage centre in Pakistan is located here.[3]
The modern name Hinglaj is derived from the Sanskrit *Hiṅgulā, commonly known ascinnabar, a mercury-sulfide ore mineral highly prized as a pigment, dyeing agent and cosmetic agent since prehistoric times.
Scholars have linked Hinglaj to the Bactrian goddessNana, worshipped among the Parthian, Saka, and Kushan peoples.[4] Brighenti proposes that the modern epithet "Bibi Nānī" (Lady Grandmother) may reflect an even more ancient deity,Nanaia, the Babylonian goddess of love.
In the tantric-esoteric Vāmācāra tradition, the Hinglaj Mata shrine in Baluchistan is a foremost Śaktipitha, and remains one of the most important pilgrimage destinations for Hindus. In Shaktism traditions developing around the 8th-9th centuries CE, the following narrative is found:
To still the divine dance,Tandava, of the Hindu god LordShiva following the death ofDakshayani, the Hindu godLord Vishnu scattered the remains of her embodiment over various places of the Indian subcontinent. It is said that the head fell at Hingula or Hinglaj and is thus considered the most important of the 51 Shakti Peeths. At each of the Peeths,Bhairava (a manifestation of Shiva) accompanies the relics. The Bhairava at Hinglaj is called Bhimalochana, located inKoteshwar, Kutch. The Sanskrit texts mention the part as 'Brahmadreya' or vital essence.[citation needed]
Hinglaj is situated in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. It is near the peak of one of the mountains of theMakran Coastal Range. It is approximately 120 km from theIndus RiverDelta and 20 km from theArabian Sea. The area is extremely arid and thepilgrimage also called 'Nani ki Haj' by local Muslims takes place before summer. The pilgrimage starts at a place near the Hao river which is 10 km fromKarachi.
The name of Hinglaj lends itself to the Hingol river, the largest in Balochistan and theHingol National Park which at 6,200 square kilometers is the largest in Pakistan.
Since it is located in a desert which is called Marusthal inSanskrit, the shrine is referred to in holy texts as "Marutirtha Hinglaj" which means Hinglaj, the Shrine of the Desert.
TheMakran Coastal Highway linkingKarachi withGwadar runs parallel toBalochistan'sArabian Sea coast. It was built byFrontier Works Organisation and follows the same path whichAlexander took when he ended his campaign. The highway has made the pilgrimage and visiting the shrine very convenient.
Despite theindependence and the increasing Islamic stance of the Pakistani Government and society, Hinglaj has survived and is in fact revered by local Muslims who call it 'Nani ki Mandir'.[5] Muslims offer red or saffron clothes, incense, candles and a sweet preparation called 'Sirini' to the deity[citation needed]. The Muslims protected sites like Hinglaj which are the last vestiges of the Hindu society which once straddled the area.
Hingula meanscinnabar (Mercuric Sulphide). It was used in ancient India to cure snakebite and other poisonings and is still employed in traditional medicine. The Goddess Hingula is thus believed to possess powers which can cure poisoning and other diseases.
Although the road linking Karachi with the port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea has shortened the pilgrimage a lot, the ancient path followed for millennia through the Baluch desert is endowed with a unique importance. The very journey on foot is considered a penance to purify oneself before approaching the deity. An account of such a journey is given below.
The pilgrims are led by priests or caretakers of the shrine through the desert. They hold a wooden trident in their hands. The trident orTrishul is the weapon ofLord Shiva and hence is associated with the Sati too. Since they hold the trident during the trip, they are called 'Chhadidaars' (those who hold the stick orchhadi). The Chhadi is draped withsaffron, red or pink coloured fabrics.
The priests give a saffron cloth to every pilgrim and an oath is taken that each would help the other. However they are warned not to share their personal stores of water. This act is deemed to be a sort of fast and penance necessary for the journey.
On the path to the shrine are situated wells which are guarded by the local tribesmen. Feuds over water, a scarce commodity, is common in the area. The tribesmen are offered food consisting primarily of Roti (circular flat disks of baked flour) in lieu of water.
An important stop during the pilgrimage is the mudvolcano called 'Chandragup', literally 'Moon Well'), mainlandAsia's largest mud volcano. It is considered holy and is addressed as 'Baba Chandrakup'(literallyFather Moonwell). The volcano is filled with mud, instead ofmagma, hence the term "mud volcano". It is considered to be the abode of demigod Babhaknath. It is one of the few sites of active volcanic activity in the Asian mainland. The mud is semi fluid and sometimes it spills over and aggregates and cools into hillocks which surround the site.
Pilgrims stay up all night at the base of the volcano making Rotis which are offered to the volcano. The activity is considered to be very holy. The ingredients, flour,ghee (clarified butter),jaggery,sugar are mixed on a cloth which is held at all times at four corners by pilgrims. This is done to ensure that it never touches the ground. The preparedrotis are covered with wood.
At daybreak, the Rotis are carried by the pilgrims and priests to the mouth of the crater. AChadi or WoodenTrident is planted near the edge of the crater and offerings ofincense andcannabis are made along with recitation of 'mantras'. The rotis are then torn up and cast into the crater.
After this ritual every pilgrim is asked to confess his sins and ask for forgiveness. Anyone who refuses or hesitates to confess to his or her sins is ostracised and abandoned by the party. After the confession, the party proceeds with the permission of 'Baba Chandrakup'.
The pilgrimage continues for another four to five days after leaving Chandrakup. The final stop is a small village with wooden houses. It is home to the caretakers of the shrine and Baluch tribesmen who revere the deity even though they are Muslims. Before entering the shrine, the pilgrims bathe in theHingol River (also called the Aghore River). The shrine is situated on the mountain on the other bank of the river. The pilgrims bathe and visit the shrine in their wet clothes.
The shrine is recognised by a mark which resembles the sun and the moon. This mark is upon a giant boulder at the top of the hill containing the cave. It is believed that the Hindu god Lord Ram created this mark with the strike of his arrow after his penance ended.
The shrine is called 'Mahal', a word ofArabic origin which means palace. The natural beauty of the shrine has spawned folklore that it was constructed by demigods called 'Yakshas'. The walls and roof of the cave are encrusted with colourful stones and semi-precious veins. The floor is also multi hued.
The entrance to the cave is around 50 feet in height. At the end of the cave is the sanctum sanctorum, which houses the holy relic. It is covered by red clothes and vermilion. There are two entrances to the sanctum. One has to crawl into the sanctum, take the 'darshan' and leave through the other opening. Prasad is distributed to the pilgrims and they return after seeing theMilky Way atnight.
Although the Hingula shrine in Balochistan is considered to be a true Shakti Peeth, other shrines dedicated to the goddess exist in India and Sri Lanka. One important shrine is located 14 km fromTalcher in the state ofOrissa in India. King Nala of the Vidarbha region of Western India was an ardent devotee of Devi Hingula. He was approached by the King ofPuri for help. In order to start cooking 'Mahaprasada' for LordJagannath he had to procure Devi Hingula as fire for the temple kitchen. The Goddess agreed and moved to Puri as fire.
Hinglaj Devi worshiped asKuldevi by many communities of India likeSindhis,Bhavsar,Rajputs,Charan,Rajpurohit,Khatri,Arora,Dodiya Rajput,Parajiya Soni,Hingoo,Bhanushali,Lohana,Barot, Kapdi,Vanza, Bhadresa, Gurjar,Vala etc.[1]
As per the popular folklore ofTreta Yuga, a virtuousHaihaya king ofMahishmati ofmalwa region, Sahasrabahu Arjuna or Sahasrarjun, more widely known asKartavirya Arjuna drunk with power and sense of invincibility ends up killing the greatBrahman sageJamadagni over a sacred cowKamadhenu. Furious at this heinous crime, son of Jamadagni, LordParashurama vows to vanquish the power drunkenKshatriya clan from Earth. Wielding his divine axe, he eliminates Sahasrarjun and later on he rages on earth 21 times, each time decimating unvirtuous and unworthy kings wherever he went. Terrified with the prospect of death at Lord Parashuram, progeny of Sahasrarjun seekJanaka Maharaj, one of the most learned king ofVideha who advises them to seek Hinglaj Mata's blessing. The clan devotedly pray to devi at Hinglaj who is overcome with compassion and assures shelter in her place. Over time, when Lord Parashuram visits this place, he was pleasantly surprised to see Kshatriya clan involved in many Brahminical activities having shed their arms. Hinglaj mata intervenes on their behalf, and since then the clan disowned arms. Lord Parashuram not only taught them scriptures and vedas, but also weaving for a living. The clan with a sense of relief then branches out and spread acrossSindh,Panjab,Rajasthan,Madhya Pradesh, and later on, further South to places such asMaharashtra,Telangana,Andhra Pradesh andKarnataka and where ever they went, they continued worshiping Hinglaj Devi.Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhus andKhatris trace their origin to this prehistoric lineage. Some of those who remained in Sindh province later on converted to Islam. To this day, many continue to work as weavers and tailors.[1]AmbaBhavani or Jagadamba is considered as one of the later incarnations of Hinglaj Devi by the same communities who also worship her mostly in Western India.
Hinglaj Shaktipeeth was backdrop for the 2013Telugu FilmSahasam starringGopichand andTaapsee Pannu andShakti Kapoor. Theprotagonist in fictional story belongs to a family migrated from present dayPakistan during partition. He visitsPakistan to fetch his ancestral property, which was left inPakistan.
In Bengali there is a very popular film named "Marutirtha Hinglaj" directed byBikash Roy.[6]
She is worshiped as Kuldevi by manyAnavil Brahmin, Kshatriya & other Hindu communities of India like Khatri Brahmakshatriya, Bhavsar, Bhanushali,Lohana, Kapdi, Kapadiya,Charan (deviputra), etc.
