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Balochistan's Hingalaaj Maataa Temple --
Muhammad Akbar Notezai <http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.com/2014/03/balochistans-HIngalaaj-mata-temple.html>
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Balochistan's HIngalaaj Mata Temple   <https://www.blogger.com/null>
[image: h4] <http://thebalochhal.com/2013/10/01/the-HIngalaaj-mata-temple/h4/>
By Muhammad Akbar Notezai <http://thebalochhal.com/author/akbarnotezai/>

The Hingalaaj Maataa Temple is situated in a desolated and hilly area of Balochistan's Lasbela District. It is quite famous in all over the Sub-continent, especially among many Kul Devee, 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 Hingalaaj Maataa Temple is located in the rugged mountains, and its journey is extremely tiring.

The pilgrimage of Hingalaaj Maataa Temple is also famous among the local Muslims, particularly the Zikri Balochs (predominantly an ethnic Baloch group). They call it "Naanee Kee Haj." There are water Kund (pits) in the proximity to Hingalaaj Shrine. These are: Til Kund, Kheer Kund or Brahm Kund, Khali Kund and Mahaa Kaalee Kund at up to the stream of the river Hingol, going downwards to the Hingalaaj Maataa and Kaalee Maataa Kund.

It is said about Til Kund that Black Til (corn) when rubbed with hands in Til Kund water still become white.
And about Kheer Kund, it is famous that milk used to fall in it, but, presently, water of springs fall through Herb "Mamera" and it is very beneficial for eye sight.

Mahaa Kund is at a height in the mountain. (Imgae =  http://thebalochhal.com/2013/10/01/the-HIngalaaj-mata-temple/h1-3/
There are also worship places of Ganesh Dev, Aashaa Puraa Maataa, Hanuman ji, Maataa Kaalee, Guru Gorakh Nath, Guru Nanak, Ramjarokha, Bethak, Aneel Kund on Chorsi Mountain, Brham Kund, Kaalee Kund and Mahaa Kaalee Kund. In the way, Chandra Goop, Khaaree Nadee, Aghor Poojaa and the main pilgrimage place which is the Sthaan of Maataa Hingalaaj Devee.

Kaalee Maataa Sthaan
Kaalee Maataa Sthaan is few yards away in a mountain cave from Aashaa Puraa where a Moorti of Kaalee Maataa is fixed. At this place, devotees offer Coconut, Chunaree, Agarbattee, Mishree, Khoyaa, Bali (goat sacrifice) and Poojaa Aaratee ceremony, which is performed over there.

Predominantly the Baloch ethnic group, Zikris, are also followers of this Devee. They also worship here and call it "Naanee Maataa."
In front of Kaalee Moorti, there is a large pit of water, which comes from up stream.

Hingalaaj Sthaan
(Image - http://thebalochhal.com/2013/10/01/the-HIngalaaj-mata-temple/h2/
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 favored with Darshan of Hingalaaj Maataa. They take sacred bath in Hingalaaj Kund (Pit), which is in front of it. Then devotees go through Gorabh Parsav ceremony under the ground channel, under Hingalaaj Maataa Moorti to complete Yaatraa. In the past, devotees would be called "Kapris," who used to adopt Sanyaas, renunciation, thereafter, by wearing Maalaa of Tharma.

Guru Gorakh Shilaa (Stone)
This Shilaa is a big piece of stone about 15 feet diameter and 12 feet high lying of Hingalaaj Shrine. It is, as the Hindu people say, to have been thrown by Guru Gorakh Naath from the Chorsi Mountain, which is at about 2 kms away from here and its diameter is equal to present Aneel Kund (water well) on the Chorsi Mountain. On this mountain, Agarbattee, Dhoop, Namaskaar is made. They also say that the pilgrims, who cannot climb up the Chorsi Mountain, take four rounds around this big stone.
(Image -   http://thebalochhal.com/2013/10/01/the-HIngalaaj-mata-temple/h3/.

The Hingalaaj Shrine that before pre-partition days (before 15th August of 1947), Raajpoot King used to come to Hingalaaj Shrine for performing pilgrimage from Raajasthaan and Gujaraat 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 to travel to this place. But unlike previous times, it has now become easy to travel to Maataa Hingalaaj Sthaan.

They further added, "The devotees from all over the world would come to the Hingalaaj Maataa Teerth since centuries. Rven Hindus Rama Avataar,  Guru Naanak, Mekhan Avatar of Laxman, and other great saints, Rishi and Hindu scholars paid visit to Hingalaaj Maataa Teerth."
Hindu sect, Naath Panthee, whose founder was Guru Gorkh Naath, used to visit this shrine in 600 AD. Also, the Sindhi mystic poet, Shaah Abdul Latif Bhittai, also visited the Hingalaaj Shrine. He has written a poem about Hingalaaj Maataa Temple too." In recent years also devotees even from Africa and European countries have visited and performed Hingalaaj Maataa Teerth.
(Image -  http://thebalochhal.com/2013/10/01/the-HIngalaaj-mata-temple/h5-2/

Undoubtedly, Hingalaaj Maataa Temple has remained famous even in Mahaabhaarat period. Samraat Vikramaajit, the king of India also visited Hingalaaj Maataa Temple for performing pilgrimage after conquering the whole India.
Raajaa Todarmal of Mugal regime visited Hingalaaj Maataa Temple, too.
Besides, other well known names who visited Hingalaaj Shrine are: Bihaaree Ma, Raajaa Bhaj Singh, Raajaa Maadho Singh, Raajaa Jagat Singh, of Jaipur, Daadaa Mekhan, the great saint of Gujaraat, who was first called Kapris of Maataa and, after this, all the devotees are called Kapris (who wear Maalaa in their necks), visited Hingalaaj Maataa Teerth.

Moreover, there is a much famous story among the Hindu about the Hingalaaj Maataa Temple that the daughter of Prajaapati Daksh, Satee, married to the God Shiv against her father's wishes. Due to this reason, when Daksh organized a great Yagya, but didn't invite Satee and Shiv. Uninvited, Satee reached the Yagya site, where Daksh ignored Satee and vilified Shiv. Satee couldn't withstand this insult. She committed suicide by jumping into the sacrificial fire. Satee died but her dead body didn't burn. After that the grief-stricken Shiv wandered the universe with the corpse of Satee. When he could not be controlled by anybody, Vishnu cut up the body of Satee into 52 parts. The Head of Satee is believed to have fallen at Hingalaaj.  (Image -  : http://thebalochhal.com/2013/10/01/the-HIngalaaj-mata-temple/h6/

Unlike previous times, pathetically, Hindu are now living dangerously in Balochistan. They, after visiting the Hingalaaj Maataa Temple, were less in number over there. In the past, Hindu would be visible in large number in the mountains of Hingalaaj Maataa. They would nonchalantly come from inside and outside of the country to visit Hingalaaj Maataa Teerth. But now it is the condition that they cannot visit the Hingalaaj Maataa Temple from its contigous districts. As compared to other districts of Balochistan, Lasbella District, where Hingalaaj Temple is situated, is considered to be safe for the Hindu. There are many Hindu, who have settled in Lasbella District from the other places of Balochistan.

"The Baloch and Hindu have been living just like brothers for centuries. We even attend each other funerals. And it is manifest to everyone that both Baloch and Hindu are facing  problems alike. They are not complainants about the Baloch people. They, if you ask, call themselves Baloch and they are Balochs," (Image  -  http://thebalochhal.com/2013/10/01/the-HIngalaaj-mata-temple/h10/

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