Introduction

Hinglaj Mata Mandir is the only Hindu temple in the world whose door to visit is a volcano. If you are wondering about this then read the full article to understand its meaning.

A Hindu Temple in Pakistan is among the most vulnerable places but still, there are few Hindu Temples that are existing till now because of their Divinity. Hinglaj Mata Mandir is one of them which is also a UNESCO Site in Pakistan.

The temple is one of the biggest Hindu temples in Pakistan and receives a large number of devotees from all around the globe. It is one of the most prominent Shaktipeeth among 51, whose visit is a must for Hindus. It is because, without its Darshan (Visit) even the visit to Char Dham (four prominent sacred places for Hindus) is meaningless.

Who Is Hinglaj Mata?

Hinglaj Mata is the Adi Shakti and the embodiment of the goddess Sati. Goddess Sati is the First Wife of Lord Shiva and the incarnation of Adi Shakti Durga. She is referred to as Hinglaj Devi, Hingula, and Nani Mandir. However, Nani Mandir or Nani Peer is revered by mostly Pakistani Muslims and Sindhi Muslims who believe in Mata.

Image: Hinglaj Mata Inside the Cave Temple

Where The Hinglaj Mata Mandir Is Located In Pakistan?

Hinglaj Mata Mandir is situated in the middle of Hingol National Park on the Makran coast in the Lasbela district of Balochistan. The whole temple campus is spread over an area of about 6400 square meters in the Makran Desert.

The campus houses many sub-temples dedicated to other Hindu deities while the main shrine of Maa Hinglaj is in a small cave at the end of a range of Kirthar Mountains. The temple is situated at the bank of the Hingol River in the desert stretch and thus provides life to the mountainous region.

The temple area mostly remains isolated because of the desert and arid landscape. But, a huge crowd of devotees is gathered in the annual celebration in April. However, the temple caretakers (At present Versi Mal and his companions) serve Mata throughout the year and perform rituals such as Aarti and Bhog daily in the temple. Also, they organize the annual celebration and work for the infrastructure development of the temple.

Image: Hinglaj Mata Cave in Kirthar Mountains                                                    (Source - official website)

What Is The Story Behind Hinglaj Mata Mandir?

According to the Hindu Tales, Prajapati Daksha was the Son of Lord Brahma who had celestial power and a prominent rank among deities. He had a daughter named Sati who was none other but one of the aspects of Mother goddess Shakti. She married Lord Shiva by going against the wish of her father Daksha. Therefore, Daksha started to dislike Lord Shiva and Sati.

To avenge Lord Shiva and insult him, he organized a large Yagya in which he invited all the deities except Lord Shiva. But still, goddess Sati decided to go there ignoring the formality of invitation. After reaching the Yagya place, her father started to humiliate her and mock lord Shiva. To this goddess, sati was very disheartened. She therefore decided to break all the relations with her father and set her mortal body into the Yagya fire.

Lord Shiva after hearing the incident became very angry and decided to destroy the universe. He began to perform Tandav (Destructive Dance of Lord Shiva) in the grief of losing goddess Sati. He began wandering in the universe with the dead body of goddess Sati in his lap.

The other trinities (Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva are called Trinities) who were speculating about this situation decided to separate the dead body of goddess Sati from Lord Shiv. Because without doing so, it was impossible to pacify Lord Shiva's anger.

Lord Vishnu then, ordered his Sudarshan Chakra to cut off the body of goddess Sati. As a result, the Sudarshan Chakra dismembered the body of Sati into 108 parts, among them 52 fell on Earth while others on other planets. Hence, the place where the body part of goddess Sati fell on Earth is called Shaktipeeth. And, Hinglaj Mata Mandir is the place where the head of goddess Sati is believed to have fallen.

Why The Volcano Is Considered The Door To Visit The Temple?

Chandra Gup Mud Volcano is the volcano that is considered the door to the visit of the temple. It is because only the Chandra Gup can decide if a devotee can visit the main temple or not. A devotee can visit the temple if it accepts his wish and allows him to visit the temple.

The Chandra Gup Mud Volcano is active in the Makran desert area. The Hindu devotees worship the volcano as the Bhairav form of Lord Shiva. It is 300 feet high and has more than 450 steps to climb up. Devotees climb up the volcano to offer Prasad and to seek permission to visit the Hinglaj Cave Temple.

Note: Image Source is the Official website of Hinglaj Mata Mandir.

How To Reach Hinglaj Mata Mandir?

Unlike India, Pakistan is careless in caring for the religious centers that belong to the minorities. This is the reason, devotees face a lot of problems in reaching out to Hinglaj Mata Mandir in Balochistan. They can visit the temples only in groups because the route is isolated and lacks infrastructure. A devotee can't visit the temple alone because of fear of getting robbed by dacoits. Here are the following ways through which you can reach out to the Hinglaj Temple in Pakistan.

By Airport

If you wish to come through the Air Route, then The Jinnah International Airport in Karachi is the only option to land. However, Turbat International Airport is also available for landing but the distance from here is more than the Karachi. The Hinglaj Mandir is at a distance of about 240 km from Karachi and lies in the west. After reaching Karachi, you can reserve the bus and can travel the rest by road.

By Road

It is the best option to reach out to Hinglaj Mandir in Pakistan. The Karachi - Quetta Highway connects the Karachi to Quetta district. Hence, after reaching Quetta, take the route to Hingol National Park on Makran Desert Road.

Hinglaj Yatra

The main Hinglaj Yatra is a 45 km barefoot Journey from Chandra Goup Mud Volcano to the Main Cave Temple. It is a must to get permission from Baba Bhairav (Chandra Gup) before starting the Yatra. When the Yatra starts it involves activities such as taking holy baths and visiting every temple on the way to the cave temple. The below lines discuss the complete Yatra in detail:

Image: Devotees in Group for Hinglaj Yatra                        (Source - official website)

Taking Permission from Chandra Gup (Baba Bhairav)

Before coming out to Chandra Gup devotees purify themselves by keeping fasting and waking up all night. In the morning, devotees ascend to the Chandra Gup and confess their sins. They offer coconuts, rose petals, and baked rotis to Baba and ask for permission to visit the temple.

The devotees's wish is granted if the coconut tossed by them comes out from the mud. Then, they step down from the Chandra Gup to take a bath and prepare themselves for the further Yatra.

Taking Holy Bath in Aghor River

Devotees after stepping down from the mud volcano take a bath in the Aghor River. The significance of the Aghor River is similar to the Holy River Ganga in India. Therefore, a first-time devotee sacrifices his hair & mustaches in the Aghor River as per the Hindu tradition.

Taking Blessing of Lord Ganesha

After taking the bath devotees go to Ashapuri Dham and worship Lord Ganesha. Devotees take his blessing before starting the yatra because Lord Ganesha is believed to be Vighnaharta (Obstacle Remover). Devotees pray for completing their Yatra successfully without any obstacles.

Visiting Other Temples on the way

On the way to the Hinglaj cave, there are many small temples where devotees visit to seek the blessings of deities. These temples include Pathri Wali Mata Mandir and Kali Mata Mandir.

Final Visit to Hinglaj Mata Mandir

In the end, devotees reach the Hinglaj Temple through a newly constructed gate. In the Hinglaj Mandir, Mata resides inside a small cave. The main idol of Mata is a small rock smeared with Sindoor (Vermillion). The idol contains only the head because of its belief.

Is There Any Hinglaj Mata Mandir In India?

In India, there are sub-temples where Mata is worshipped as Hinglaj Devi. The Hindu Devotees in India have the same faith for Maa Hingula here as for the Hinglaj Temple in Pakistan:

Shri Mateshwari Tanot Rai Mandir, Rajasthan

The Tanot Rai Mandir is located in the Jaisalmar district of Rajasthan where Tanot Rai Mata is worshipped as Maa Hinglaj. Tanot Mata is considered to be one of the incarnations of Maa Hinglaj. The temple was built in 828 AD by Tanu Rao (A Bhati Rajput King) and is situated in the Thar desert at the India-Pakistan Mandir.

The temple became famous after the miracle in the Longewala Battle between India and Pakistan in 1965.  During the battle, Pakistani forces fired 3000 bombs to destroy the temple but none of them was able to harm the temple. Either the bombs get diffused or diverted from the aim. Since then, the Border Security Force (BSF) has taken charge of maintaining and managing the temple and has been doing so till now.

Because the temple brought victory to the Indian Army,  the mata is being called the 'Goddess of Indian Soldiers'. The soldiers of the BSF and Indian Army believe in Mata and therefore pay homage with great devotion. The Indian Army also constructed a Victory Tower inside the temple compound to commemorate the victory in the battle of Longewala.

Image: Tanot Rai Mandir, Rajasthan                            (Source- Navbharat Times)

Hinglaj Mata Badi, Bhopal

The other temple of Maa Hinglaj in India is in the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh. The temple is famous with the name Hinglaj Mata Badi because it is situated in Badi Nagar of the district.

The temple is believed to be 500 years old with Akhand Jyot continuously flaming for years. As per the tales, a saint named Bhagwan Das Ji Maharaj brought the Akhand Jyoti (Eternal Flame) from the Hinglaj Temple in Pakistan and established the sacred Jyoti in this temple. The temple has divine powers and there are various legends associated with the temple to prove its divinity.

Hinglaj Mata Mandir, Chhindwara, MP

The other Hinglaj Temple in Madhyapradesh is in Chhindwara district in the nearby Umreth Police Station area. The idol of Maa Hinglaj is believed to be brought by Kathiyawad of Rajasthan who belongs to the Kshatriya clan. The descendants of them established the idol in Chhindwara and worshipped it as their Kuldevi.

Divine Personalities Who Visited Hinglaj Mata Mandir

Lord Rama

Lord Rama after slaying the demon king Ravana felt guilty of killing a Brahmana (Ravana was the Brahmana by birth). Hence, to cleanse himself of the sin he went on Pilgrimage to Hinglaj Mata Temple. Lord Rama carved a sun and moon symbol on the mountain opposite to temple to commemorate his Yatra.

Note: In Hinduism, the killing of a Brahmana and a Mother Cow is prohibited.

Guru Nanak Dev

Guru Nanak Dev Ji (Founder of Sikhism) also visited Hinglaj Mata Mandir in his time. It is believed that the footprints of his visit are still present in the Temple.  After visiting the temple he went to Quetta and blessed his devotees by offering them Til as Prasad. A Gurudwara named Gurudwara Pehli Patshahi Tilganji Sahib has also been built in Quetta to commemorate his visit. The Gurudwara is still present in the city but is restricted to go.

Highlights About The Hinglaj Mata Mandir

The following are the highlights of Hinglaj Mata Temple in Balochistan:

(a) Hinglaj Temple is situated in the Baluchistan Province of Pakistan.

(b) Pakistani Muslims have also faith in Hinglaj Mata and they call her Nani Maa or Nani Peer.

(c) The annual celebration at Hinglaj Temple continues for 3 days and receives gatherings in lakhs.

(d) No one can visit the Hinglaj Mata in the Hinglaj Mandir without the permission of Baba Chandragup Mud Volcano.

(e) Chandragup Mud Volcano is worshipped as Bhairav who is one of the embodiment of Lord Shiva.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Hinglaj Mata Mandir has a divine presence in the Non-Hindu Land of Pakistan. The place gives life to the mountainous region of Baluchistan and hence people of all communities and religions have faith in it. The Indian Hindus must also be given easy access for a visit to Hinglaj Mata and therefore, efforts should be made by the Indian and Pakistan governments together.

FAQs

Q1. Where is Hinglaj Mata Mandir?

Ans. The Hinglaj Mata Mandir is situated in the Lasbela district of Pakistan. The main temple is situated in the middle of Hingol National Park in the Makran Desert Stretch.

Q2. Can an Indian visit the Hinglaj Temple in Pakistan?

Ans. The Pakistani government is very strict with Indians on giving visa permission even a tourist visa. The reason for this is the bitter bilateral relationship between the two countries. Therefore, for an Indian, It is a bit hard to visit Hinglaj Temple but not impossible.

Q3. Is it safe to visit the Hinglaj Temple in Pakistan?

Ans. Of course! Hinglaj Mata Mandir is a divine place and has divine powers to protect their devotees. Therefore, there is no risk in going to Hinglaj Temple to pay homage to Mata. However, it is wise to go for a visit in a group because the temple remains isolated through out the year.