Hinglaj
Mandir Pakistan
Shri Hinglaj is a Hindu holy place situated at a distance
of 120 km north east of Karachi. The area actually is
a part of Bilochistan province of Pakistan. Hingol river
falls on its way in Makran hills.
MYTH
According to the history given in the holy books Sati,
a daughter of Raja Daksh was married to Lord Shiva.
Once the Raja arranged Brahspati Sav-Yajna at Kankhal
near Haridwar. Brahma was the chief guest. Daksh invited
all the Devtas but totally ignored Shiva who was known
as Supreme among the Devtas. Narad Muni flashed this
message to Sati and Shiva. They felt insulted. But even
then Sati insisted that they should join the Yajna since
there was no harm in going to father’s residence
for a daughter even if she had not been invited.
Lord Shiva refused to accompany her but said he won’t
mind if Sati insisted on attending Raja Daksh’s
Yajna. Sati could not restrain herself and went to
Kankhal,. She found that no space had been earmarked
for her husband at the Yajna site. No body attended
her rather she had to listen derogatory remarks from
her father for her husband. Feeling highly insulted
, Sati immolated herself in the Yajna-Kund.
When Lord Shiva learnt about the immolation, he sent
his messengers to disturb the Yajna. They created
panic there and separated Daksh’s head from
his body, the same head was later thrown in to the
Yajna-Kund. Later Shiva took her wife’s dead
body on his shoulders and started wandering in the
hilly areas , dancing about like a demented creature.
The angles , fearing a premature end of the world,
approached Lord Vishnu requesting him to contain lord
Shiva so that the living world could be saved. Lord
Vishnu converted Sati’s dead body into pieces.
Wherever a piece fell down, a Shakti Peeth developed
there. This was how 52 Shakti Peeths emerged in undivided
Hindustan. Shri Hinglaj is one of them.
Since, according to the myth, Sati’s head with
its Hingul (Sindhoor, Vermillion) fell at this place
on the hills, it was named as Hingul Parvat and the
Peeth was known as Shri Hinglaj Mata Asthan. This
Peeth is considered supreme because Sati’s head
had fallen here .
It is believed that Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshman
visted this peeth during Banvas.
After creation of Pakistan, the govt. had declared
it a prohibited area for residents of India but devotees
residing in Pakistan and other foreign countries still
take holy pilgrimage to the Peeth starting from Shri
Swaminarayan Mandir complex in Karachi during Navratras
in the month of April. Like Amarnath Yatra in Jammu
and Kashmir, the Hinglaj Yatra is also considered
difficult-one but those who perform it, are blessed
heavily by the Mata.
As already defined, Brahmkshatriyas on their creature
from Kshatriyas were told by Rishi Dadhichi that Hinglaj
Devi would be their Kuldevi and they should worship
the Goddess Hinglaj for all times to come.
