Temple Hinglaj (Baluchistan)

[Guest guest]

Namaste, A close friend of mine had visited Hinglaj (Baluchistan): A shrine inHer face may not have launched a thousand ships but it nearly ended Creation. The beauty may have been compelling but it did not lead to any seizure of the realm. Yet for over a thousand years, the legend of Sati has held sway. The legend is that: Sati, Shiva’s consort, ended her life by jumping into a pool of fire to protest against the humiliation of her husband by her own father. Heaven hath no fury like a god bereaved. So Shiva responded by going into the dance of destruction. But the guiles of Vishnu saved the day. The remains of Sati were cut in 51 pieces and scattered across India. The 51 places where the remains fell are known as pitha and constitute the Grand Slam of Indian pilgrimage. As many as 49 of the 51 pithas are within India. A few lie outside its current geographical boundary. One of them, Hinglaj, is in Baluchistan. The scalp of Sati, replete with vermilion, the mark of the married woman, fell in Hinglaj. On this corporeal relic grew a place of worship ?somewhat in the fashion of Buddhist stupas. Thus bloomed the Hindu flower in the barren wilderness of Baluchistan. In truth, the goddess at Hinglaj began her reign much earlier but as an unknown regional satrap. Once assumed in the 51-strong National Democratic Alliance of Sati, her munificence stood vastly enlarged. Hinglaj, born non-Aryan, became part of the Shakti diaspora. Her humble origins were soon forgotten. Despite the lineage, Hinglaj never quite received the attention it deserved. The journey was arduous and long. The 250-km trudge across an unfriendly desert was an ultimate test of faith. (Every pilgrim, says Jaswant, deserved a Victoria Cross). The entire route was and remains infested with dacoits. The visitors, mainly local Hindus from Sindh, were routinely robbed. The only other pilgrims the goddess attracted were the steady trickle of Rajputs ? kings and kin ? from Rajasthan and neighbouring Gujarat. Even that ebbed with Partition. Outside of Rajasthan, only Bengal had a certain familiarity with Hinglaj. This was due to a Bengali tantrik who visited the shrine before Partition and wrote a harrowing account. For more details , please visit:http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060212/asp/frontpage/story_5836362.asp

 

 

 

 

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