Hinglaj Mata Temple, Balochistan – The Temple

Hinglaj Mata Temple, Balochistan – The Temple

The shrine is in a small natural cave. The entrance to the cave is around 50 feet in height. At the end of the cave is the sanctum sanctorum. There is a low mud altar. There is no man made image of the goddess. A small shapeless stone is worshiped as Hinglaj Mata. 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. There are two entrances to the sanctum. One has to crawl into the sanctum, take the darshan and leave through the other opening.

The walls and roof of the cave are encrusted with colourful stones and semi-precious veins. The floor is also multi-hued. The shrine is recognised by a mark which resembles the sun and the moon. This mark is upon a giant boulder at the top of the hill containing the cave. It is believed that the Hindu god Lord Ram created this mark with the strike of his arrow after his penance ended.

Baba Chandragup:

The mud volcano Chandragup is considered holy by Hindus and is an important stop for pilgrims on their way to the shrine of Hinglaj Mata. Devotees throw coconuts into the craters to make wishes and thank the gods for answering their prayers. The Chandragup mud volcano is worshipped as an embodiment of Lord Shiva and hence called Baba Chandragup.

Many pilgrims believe that Hinglaj’s temple may only be entered only after paying homage to Baba Chandrakup. Traditionally, the pilgrims stay awake all the night fasting and meditating on the sins they will confess at the rim of the crater next day and bake roti made out of ingredients contributed by all the pilgrims. On the next day they ascend the slope of Chandrakup.

The roti is then served as an offering to Baba Chandrakup. Nowadays, coconuts, betel nut and dal are also offered. At the top of the Volcano, the pilgrims first have to introduce themselves with their full name and place of origin and then call out their sins in front of the group. According to the bubbling of the mud and the reaction of the wind, the charidar is able to tell if the pilgrim’s sins are forgiven.

Sacred Valley of Hinglaj:

The Valley of Hinglaj is considered as Hinglaj Mata herself and hence is considered Sacred. This is the Swayambhu concept in Hinduism which implies a divine presence in natural manifestations such as particular landscapes or, on a smaller scale. Here the concept of Swayambhu not only relates to the major shrine but also can be linked to whole areas of the Hinglaj Valley, the area surrounding Chandragup volcano, or even the whole desert is considered the home of the Devi.

The point at which the Hinglaj Valley begins is clearly marked by a wall built by the Hinglaj Sheva Mandali (HSM) in 1996. However, traditional travelogues and of pilgrims coming to the shrine generally demonstrate that the Goddess’s sacred geography more extended than this, the disappearance of the old pilgrimage paths led to the elimination of many stops en route. Due to the divinity of the Goddess’s sacred geography commercial activities including shops and tea stalls are not allowed to be set up in the valley.