பாகிஸ்தான் பலுசிஸ்தான் மாதா ஹிங்லாஜ் கோவிலுக்கு மாபெரும் இந்து யாத்திரை ஆரம்பம்

பாகிஸ்தான் பலுசிஸ்தான் மாதா ஹிங்லாஜ் கோவிலுக்கு மாபெரும் இந்து யாத்திரை ஆரம்பம்

கராச்சி ஸ்வாமி நாராயண் கோவிலிருந்து ஆரம்பிக்கும் இந்த யாத்திரையில் ஏராளமான ஆண்கள் பெண்கள் குழந்தைகள் முதியோர் கலந்துகொள்கிறார்கள்.

இதில் ஏராளமான இளைஞர்கள் கலந்துகொண்டுள்ளனர்



Hinglaj pilgrimage begins
By Amar Guriro

KARACHI: The biggest pilgrimage of Pakistani Hindus, the three-day long Mata Hinglaj celebrations, started in Hungol, Balochistan, for which thousands of Hindus, mainly women, children and the elderly, gathered at the Swami Narain Temple in Karachi on Sunday evening to depart in a pilgrim caravan.

“Hindus come from all over Pakistan and even from India for this pilgrimage, usually gathering in Karachi to travel in a caravan,” said Krishna Garagwansi, the spiritual leader of lower caste Hindus, adding that before the RCD highway was constructed connecting Karachi and Gwadar, most people went walking. This brought about the tradition of traveling in a caravan, which continues today, albeit using buses instead of walking.

The pilgrimage temple of Mata Hinglaj is located 300 km from Karachi in the mountainous cave known as Hinglaj, on the banks of River Hingol, at the end of the Kirthar mountain range in Balochistan. This cave is one of most famous and important ones to all Hindu pilgrims in the subcontinent.

To get out of the birth cycle, belief states that each Hindu must perform pilgrimage to the sacred Ganga River in India once in a lifetime. The birth cycle is a reincarnation of the soul, that is, after death, a soul is born again in a new body. By means of good deeds and this pilgrimage, a Hindu elevates the status of his soul, eventually escaping the birth cycle and reaching Bhagwan (God). “The pilgrimage is not completed by visiting the Ganga alone; the Mata Hinglaj pilgrimage is considered a part of the pilgrimage, so you can imagine the importance of this pilgrimage,” said Garagwansi.

Women in colorful clothes, with bindia on their foreheads (a streak of vermillion powder indicating that they are married) and a yellow band tied around their heads bearing the words “Jai Mata ki” and the religious sign “Om”, were dancing to the tunes of Gujrati, Marathi and Dhatki psalms in the courtyard of the Swami Narain Temple, where thousands of Hindus from all over Pakistan and India started collecting since morning.

The temple was decorated with small buntings, red flags and a welcome banner for pilgrims coming in from outside the city. Some people also set-up makeshift stalls selling rose garlands, coconuts, agarbatti, statues of gods and goddesses, CDs of religious psalms, dry fruits and other food items useful to travellers.

“Hundreds of people left on foot ten days ago, and there are hundreds of people who do so each year in devotion, even though there is now a road connecting Karachi to the Hinglaj temple,” said Ratan, another pilgrim.

Garagwansi said that most pilgrims fast for 10 days before the pilgrimage and, during this time, only eat fruits and drink milk at night. “The celebration will end on Wednesday, when people will start returning,” he said.

In today’s caravan, the majority of the pilgrims were youngsters. Teenager Reema Bagri said how excited she was. “My grandmother always told me stories of this religious journey and the tale of the Mata, so I’ve always wanted to go and, at last, I got the chance,” she said.

The caravan left Karachi late Sunday evening, will spend the night in Lyari (Balochistan) and leave for the Mata Hinglaj temple early Monday (today). The main worship will begin in the evening.