Balochistan to develop Hanglaj Hindu temple

QUETTA:

The government of Balochistan has decided to prepare a master plan for the infrastructure development around the ancient Hinglaj Mata temple to facilitate the pilgrims at the Hindu holy site.

The centuries-old Hinglaj Mata temple attracts thousands of Hindu devotees from across Pakistan.

Balochistan Chief Secretary Abdul Aziz Uqaili announced on social media that the master plan would be prepared and presented to the government very soon for final approval.

“The Hindu temple is the best and most well-known tourist site in the province and its development would create facilities for the visitors,” a civilian officer told The Express Tribune.

The development of the site on modern lines by adding latest infrastructure would increase the flow of tourists as it is one of the holiest sites in Hinduism, he added. Hinglaj Mata Mindar also known as Hinglaj Devi, Hingula Devi and Nani Mandir is a Hindu temple located in Hinglaj, a town in the Lasbela district of Balochistan province.

The ancient temple is located in the middle of the Hingol National Park.

It is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas in the Shaktism denomination of Hinduism and one of the three Shakti Peethas in Pakistan, the other two being Shivaharkaray and Sharada Peeth in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. It is a form of Durga or Devi in a mountain cavern on the banks of the Hingol River. Over the last three decades, the place has gained increasing popularity and became a unifying point of reference for Pakistan’s Hindu communities.

Hinglaj Yatra is the largest annual Hindu pilgrimage in Pakistan as more than 250,000 people take part in the Hinglaj Yathra during the spring.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13^th, 2023.