LOCATION : 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.
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