MATA HINGLAJ

                                                                                  

Hinglaj is an holy shrine, located about 120km North West of Karachi, on the Banks of River Hingol at Makran. The reputation of Hinglaj as an holy place precedes the Arab invasion and the advent of Sufism towards the Sindh region. This sacred place of pilgrimage is particularly situated in a mountain cave "Hinglaj" on river bank of "Hinghol" at the foothills of "Kheerthar" mountains called "Kanraj" in Lyari district of Baluchistan, the province of Pakistan. It is considered one of the famous and biggest "Teeraths" of Indo Pak subcontinent.

It is about 170 miles (250 KM) from Karachi city. One has to go by road via main Karachi - Quetta Highway upto Zero Point for about 75 miles and then by road towards the west via Lyari town and then towards the signal Fauji Camp Stop, crossing Aghore River passing through Goongi River and then finally stopping at Asha Pura Sarai (INN)

Worship Spots

The worship spots for Ganesh, Kalika Mata, Guru Gorakh Nath Dooni, Brahma Kudh, Tir Kundh, Gurunanak Kharao, Ramjarokha Bethak, Aneel Kundh located at Chorasi Mountain, Chandra Goop, Khaririver and Aghore Pooja are the main pilgrimages (Tirthasthan) for devotees of Mata Hinglaj.

Historical Importance

This Teerath has its importance in the ancient human history. Devotees from all around the world worshipped the "Hinglaj Mata Teerath" for centuries. Many great historical heros like Shree Ramchandra the well known king of Ayodhya, Great Saints like Guru Gorakh Nath, Guru Nanak Sahib, Dada Mekhan, and other such great Saints, Rishes & Scholars paid visits to Hinglaj Teerath. In recent few years devotees from Africa and European countries have visited and performed rites at Hinglaj Mata Teerath. Hinglaj. According to the ancient mythology, it's believed to be the place where the head that was fallen apart from the immoluted corpse of goddess Sati applied with Hingul (sindhoor or vermillion applied just above the forehead on the visible portion of the scalp, after parting the hair in the middle - to denote that she was married and that her husband is alive) fell on the ground. Mythology also include inscription related to the visit by Rama, Sita and Lakshman to this holy site of Hinglaj in during their period of exile, according to the famous epic "The Ramayana".

This was a prime pilgrim location for Indians until the sore partition of 1947 where Indians lost access to this cultural heritage, since it was then bounded by Pakistan. Higlaj wasn't just the only Indian site for worship, there were many such locations in Pakistan that were worship spots for Indians, but the rage of politics destroyed the cultural heritage by storming such worship spots to abandoned dilapidated ramshackle premises. Such spots were Lakhi, the Phuleli site for Jhulelal, the Prahlad-Aditya temple in Multan.

One may still wonder, if that was the case then how come Hinglaj has till continued to be a famous pilgrimage. The reason lies in humanity displayed by the Residents of Baluchistan. The handful of Hindu residents who still reside in Pakistan wouldn't have resisted the tyrannical wave of demolition that ruined the cultural heritages, if it weren't the Muslim residents of Baluchistan who stood firm to protect this ancient holy asset of historical glory. It would be discrimination on part of Culture, Secularism and Humanity to call Hinglaj Temple solely as a Hindu Pilgrimage. The fact is Muslims worship it as "Nani-Ka-Haj" which means "Grandmother's Shrine".

Nani-Ka-Haj

Each year they organize a grand cultural-fair at this temple. Muslim residents actively take part in this celebration. They worship the Goddess with the same devotion as they do in the mosque. As for the offerings they carry mostly a Red Cloth, Attar (Perfume) and Agarbattis (Incense Sticks). Just like Hindus they too worship the temple for their cultural rites and rituals. It's impossible to predict whether it's a Hindu temple or a Muslim Mosque. That's the similar situation here in India too where the people from all the religions celebrate each and every festival with a great pomp. It's a fact that secularism and humanity can't be restricted by self centered political stance and tyrannical rules.

We can say that apart from Indians even Pakistanis believe in the concept of Unity in Diversity. It's the sheer politics that has developed the Distance among religions thus tampering the principles of Humanity. Remember there's one supreme religion in the world and that's "HUMANITY".
A COURTESY OF GOOGLE