Kothari/Hinglaj Mata Mandir Balochistan

Hinglaj Mata also known as Hinglaj Devi, Hingula Devi and Nani Mandir, is a Hindu temple in Hinglaj, a town on the Makran coast in the Lasbela district of Balochistan, and is the middle of the Hingol National Park. It is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas in Shaktism denomination of Hinduism. It is one of the three Shakti Peethas in Pakistan, other two being Shivaharkaray and Sharada Peeth.It is a form of Durga or Devi in a mountain cavern on the banks of the Hingol River.Over the last three decades the place has gained increasing popularity and became a unifying point of reference for Pakistan’s many Hindu communities.Hinglaj Yatra is the largest Hindu pilgrimage in Pakistan. More than 250,000 people take part in the Hinglaj Yathra during the spring.

Etymology

The shrine is in a small natural cave. There is a low mud altar. There is no man-made image of the goddess. A small divine form of Hinglaj Mata is worshipped. The stone is smeared with sindoor (vermilion), which possibly gives the location its Sanskrit name Hingula, which is the root of the present-day name Hinglaj.

Location

The cave temple of Hinglaj Mata is in a narrow gorge in the remote, hilly area of Lyari Tehsil in Balochistan. It is 250 kilometres (160 mi) to the northwest, 12 miles (19 km) inland from the Arabian Sea and 80 miles (130 km) to the west of the mouth of the Indus. It is at the end of a range of Kirthar Mountains, in the Makran desert stretch, on the west bank of Hingol River  The area is under the Hingol National Park.Other places of worship in and around Hinglaj are Ganesh Deva, Mata Kali, Gurugorakh Nath Dooni, Braham Kudh, Tir Kundh, Gurunanak Kharao, Ramjarokha Bethak, Aneel Kundh On Chorasi Mountain, Chandra Goop, Khaririver and Aghore Pooja.

Structure of Hinglaj Mata Temple

Hinglaj Mata Temple is a cave temple located on a high hill. Inside the cave, the idol of the goddess resides, and the temple has no doors. The temple is surrounded by the cave, and devotees enter from one side and exit from the other. Near the temple is a sacred spring known as Guru Gorakhnath’s spring, and it is believed that Hinglaj Mata comes here to bathe every morning.

In this temple, Mata Sati is worshipped in her Kotatri form, and Lord Shiva is revered as Bhimlochan Bhairav. The temple complex also includes idols of Shri Ganesh, Kalika Mata, and sacred sites like Brahmakund and Teerthkund.

To enter the temple, devotees climb stone steps. The first idol they see is of Shri Ganesh, symbolizing success. Further inside, they behold the idol of Hinglaj Mata, considered a manifestation of Mata Vaishno Devi.

Temple Significance

According to ancient stories, when Lord Shiva carried the lifeless body of Mata Sati on his shoulder and performed the Tandava dance, the universe was at risk of destruction. To save it, Lord Vishnu used his Sudarshan Chakra to cut Mata Sati’s body into 51 parts, which fell at different places and became the Shakti Peeths.

It is believed that Hinglaj is the place where Mata Sati’s head fell. According to legends, Lord Ram also visited this sacred site during his journey. Hindu scriptures mention that Parshuram’s father, Sage Jamadagni, performed intense meditation here. A place named Asaram, associated with him, still exists near the temple.

Beliefs About Hinglaj Mata Temple

Dance of Divine Powers*: According to a popular belief, all divine powers gather at this temple every night and perform a mystical dance. As the morning dawns, these powers merge back into Hinglaj Mata.

Importance of Worship: Devotees strongly believe that no pilgrimage, whether to the four Dhams, bathing in the holy waters of Kashi, or worshipping at Ayodhya’s temples, is complete without visiting Hinglaj Mata. Women who visit this sacred site are called **Hajiyani* and are highly respected at all religious places.

Mata’s Chul (Fire Ritual): Once, Mata appeared and blessed her devotees, saying that whoever walks on the **Chul* with faith will have their wishes fulfilled.
The Chul was a 10-foot-long pit filled with burning embers outside the temple. Devotees would walk over it to reach the temple, and miraculously, they felt no pain or harm. Their wishes were believed to come true. However, this practice is no longer observed today.

During Navratri, a special nine-day worship of the goddess is held here. Thousands of Sindhi Hindu devotees from Sindh and Karachi visit this temple, and a group of devotees from India also makes an annual pilgrimage.