Rs300m approved for development of Hinglaj temple

The Balochistan government has allocated Rs300 million for the reconstruction and beautification of the ancient Hindu temple Hinglaj Mata.

The centuries-old Hindu temple is located in Balochistan's Lasbela district. Chief Minister Balochistan, Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo approved a special development package for the Hinglaj Mata temple. Various projects regarding the minorities living in Balochistan are currently underway, sources in the Balochistan government said. Residential facilities for pilgrims and the installation of CCTV cameras in the temple have been approved, they said.

“Pakistan is a beautiful country and minorities have full religious freedom,” Khalil George, the Balochistan Minorities Minister said.

After the establishment of Pakistan, the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, announced the protection of the rights of minorities in his first speech, Goerge stated.

In the light of Jinnah teachings, Pakistan is the safest and most beautiful country for minorities, the minorities minister stated. Minority communities celebrate their religious festivals with harmony and complete religious freedom across Pakistan.

Work is going on in Kartarhor-style Hinglaj Mata Mandir with modern technology and other projects.

Thanks to peace in Balochistan, minority communities celebrate their religious festivals freely, George said.

It is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas in the Shaktism denomination of Hinduism. It is one of the three Shakti Peethas in Pakistan, the other two being Shivaharkaray and Sharada Peeth, Azad Jammu 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.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 29^th, 2023.