Hinglaj Mata Temple also known as Hinglaj Devi, Hingula Devi, and Nani Mandir, is a Hindu temple in Hinglaj, a town on the Makran coast in the Lasbela district of Balochistan, and is the middle of the Hingol National Park. It is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas in the Shaktism denomination of Hinduism. It is one of the two Shakti Peethas in Pakistan, the other one being Sharada Peeth.It is a form of Durga or Devi in a mountain cavern on the banks of the Hingol River.
Hinglaj Mata Temple in Balochistan, which is now under Pakistan’s control. This sacred site, known as is maintained by local Muslims, who also consider it a miraculous place.
The Hinglaj Mata Temple has an ancient and beautiful idol of the goddess, representing the Hinglaj Shakti Peeth. This temple is famous in Karachi Pakistan and across India.
Hinglaj Mata Temple is a cave temple located on a high hill. Inside the cave, the idol of the goddess resides, and the temple has no doors. The cave surrounds the temple, and devotees enter from one side and exit from the other. Near the temple is a sacred spring known as Guru Gorakhnath’s Spring, and it is believed that Hinglaj Mata comes here to bathe every morning.
In this temple, Mata Sati is worshipped in her Kotatri form, and Lord Shiva is revered as Bhimlochan Bhairav. The temple complex also includes idols of Shri Ganesh, Kalika Mata, and sacred sites like Brahmakund and Teerthkund.
To enter the temple, devotees climb stone steps. The first idol they see is of Shri Ganesh, symbolizing success. Further inside, they behold the idol of Hinglaj Mata, considered a manifestation of Mata Vaishno Devi.
According to ancient stories, when Lord Shiva carried Mata Sati’s lifeless body on his shoulder and performed the Tandava dance, the universe was at risk of destruction. To save it, Lord Vishnu used his Sudarshan Chakra to cut Mata Sati’s body into 51 parts, which fell at different places and became the Shakti Peeths.
It is believed that Hinglaj is the place where Mata Sati’s head fell. According to legends, Lord Ram also visited this sacred site during his journey. Hindu scriptures mention that Parshuram’s father, Sage Jamadagni, performed intense meditation here. A place named Asaram, associated with him, still exists near the temple.
Dance of Divine Powers: According to popular belief, all divine powers gather at this temple every night and perform a mystical dance. As the morning dawns, these powers merge back into Hinglaj Mata.
*Importance of Worship: Devotees strongly believe that no pilgrimage, whether to the four Dhams, bathing in the holy waters of Kashi, or worshipping at Ayodhya’s temples, is complete without visiting Hinglaj Mata. Women who visit this sacred site are called **Hajiyani* and are highly respected at all religious places.
*Mata’s Chul (Fire Ritual): Once, Mata appeared and blessed her devotees, saying that whoever walks on the **Chul* with faith will have their wishes fulfilled.
The Chul was a 10-foot-long pit filled with burning embers outside the temple. Devotees would walk over it to reach the temple, and miraculously, they felt no pain or harm. Their wishes were believed to come true. However, this practice is no longer observed today.
During Navratri, a special nine-day worship of the goddess is held here. Thousands of Sindhi Hindu devotees from Sindh and Karachi visit this temple, and a group of devotees from India also makes an annual pilgrimage.
