Hinglaj
Hinglaj is an important Hindu pilgrimage place in Lasbela District, Balochistan, Pakistan, about 250 km west-northwest of Karachi.[1] The Hinglaj Mata Temple, which is the largest Hindu pilgrimage centre in Pakistan, is located here.[2][3]
Etymology
The modern name Hinglaj is derived from the Sanskrit *Hiṅgulā, commonly known as cinnabar, a mercury-sulfide ore mineral highly prized as a pigment, dyeing agent and cosmetic agent since prehistoric times.
Theological origin
Scholars have linked Hinglaj to the Bactrian goddess Nana, worshipped among the Parthian, Saka, and Kushan peoples.[4]
Social significance
Despite the partition of India 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 means cinnabar (Mercuric Sulphide). It was used in ancient India to cure snakebite and other poisonings and is still employed in traditional medicine. Goddess Hingula is thus believed to possess powers which can cure poisoning and other diseases.[6]
Kuldevi
Hinglaj Mata is worshiped as a kuldevi (ancestral deity) by many Hindu communities of India like Anavil, Arora, Barot, Bhadresa, Bhanushali, Bhavsar, Brahmakshatriya, Brahmin, Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu, Charan, Gurjar, Jat, Kapadi, Khatri, Lohana, Rajpurohit, Rajput, Soni, Vala, Vanza, etc.[7]
As per the popular folklore, a virtuous Haihaya king of Mahishmati of Malwa region, Sahasrabahu Arjuna or Sahasrarjun, more widely known as Kartavirya Arjuna, drunk with power and sense of invincibility ends up killing the great Brahmin sage Jamadagni over a sacred cow Kamadhenu. Furious at this heinous crime, son of Jamadagni, Jamadagni's son Parashurama vows to vanquish the power drunken kshatriya 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 by Parashuram, the progeny of Sahasrarjun seek Janaka, one of the most learned kings of Videha who advises them to seek Hinglaj Mata's blessing. The clan devotedly pray to Hinglaj Mata who is overcome with compassion and assures shelter in her place. Over time, when Parashuram visits this place, he is pleasantly surprised to see the kshatriya clans involved in many Brahminical activities having shed their arms. Parashuram then not only teaches them scriptures and the Vedas, but also weaving for a living. The clan with a sense of relief then branches out and spreads across Sindh, Panjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and later on, further south to places such as Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and wherever they went, they continued worshiping Hinglaj Mata. Communities like the Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhus and Khatris trace their origin to this prehistoric lineage. Some of those who remained in Sindh later on converted to Islam. Many continue to work as weavers and tailors.[7]
In popular media
The 1959 Indian Bengali-language film Marutirtha Hinglaj, directed by Bikash Roy, is about a journey to Hinglaj[8]
Hinglaj was the backdrop for the 2013 Indian Telugu-language film Sahasam.
See also
Notes
- ↑ "BBC NEWS | In pictures: Hindus in Pakistan, Prayers offered". news.bbc.co.uk.
- ↑ "In a Muslim-majority country, a Hindu goddess lives on". Culture & History. 10 January 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2020.[dead link]
- ↑ "Strained relationship between India & Pakistan plays spoilsport for Hinglaj Mata's devotees". The Times of India. 2023-03-22. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2026-05-16.
- ↑ Brighenti, Francesco. "A 'Sulfurous' Śakti: The Worship of Goddess Hiṅgulā in Baluchistan".
- ↑ http://www.newslinemagazine.com/2015/05/the-way-we-were/ [permanent dead link]
- ↑ "A Hindu festival in southwestern Pakistan brings a mountainous region to life". The Economic Times. 2024-04-28. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2026-05-16.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Sskna.Org". Sskna.Org. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
- ↑ "Marutirtha Hinglaj (1959) - Plot - IMDb" – via www.imdb.com.
References
- Overseas Pakistan Foundation
- Tarun Vijay (March 20, 2006). "Baluchistan Diary". Outlook India. Archived from the original on August 10, 2007. Retrieved March 4, 2009. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - Marutirtha Hinglaj
- Mr. Jay Shah's road trip to Hinglaj (Video on Vimeo)
- 4×4 Offroaders Club of Karachi - Visit to Hinglaj & mud-volcano
- Hingula worship in Orissa[permanent dead link]
- Hinglaj Devi: Identity, Change, and Solidification at a Hindu Temple in Pakistan
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