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The ascent of rugged dust volcanoes marks the beginning of Hindu pilgrim rituals in southwestern Pakistan.
They climb many ladders or climb rocks to reach the top, tossing coconuts and rose petals into the shallow crater as they seek divine permission to stop at Hinglaj Mata, an ancient rock temple that is the site of their three-day worship.
The stunning scenery of Hingol National Park in Balochistan province is the setting for Pakistan’s largest Hindu festival, Hinglaj Yatra, which began on Friday and ends on Sunday. Organizers say more than 100,000 Hindus are expected to participate.
Muslim-majority Pakistan is home to 4. 4 million Hindus, or just 2. 14% of the population, and Hinglaj Mata is one of the few Hindu sites that continues to attract large numbers of pilgrims from across the country each year.
Muslims and Hindus live peacefully in Pakistan, from where most Hindus migrated to India when the country was divided by British colonialists in 1947. But attacks on Hindu temples have come in recent years as relations between the rivals remain strained.
According to Hindus, Hinglaj Mata is one of the places where the remains of Sati, the goddess of marital bliss and longevity, fell to earth after ending her life.
Maharaj Gopal, the temple’s oldest monk, explains why other people come here in droves.
“This is the holiest pilgrimage of the Hindu religion,” Gopal said. “Whoever visits the temple and worships accordingly during those 3 days will have all his sins forgiven. “
Journeys begin many kilometers (miles), most commonly from neighboring Sindh province. Hundreds of crowded buses depart from cities such as Hyderabad and Karachi, taking the Makran coastal highway that runs through southern and southwestern Pakistan.
But there are few masses of parking and vehicle access to the holy places, so many pilgrims disembark and end their adventure walking through arid and rocky terrain, barefoot and with children or luggage.
It’s a few kilometers (miles) from the main road to the dust volcano, then from there nearly forty-five kilometers (25 miles) to Hinglaj Mata.
Winds shake desert conditions, kicking up dust that whips eyes, noses, and mouths. The festive joy of the pilgrims and their brightly colored garments contrast with the arid landscape. Loud gusts distort people’s celebratory shouts: “Jai mata di” and “Jai shiv shankar. “
Kanwal Kumar, 28, was visiting the temple for the first time with her husband. “We still haven’t conceived a child after six years of marriage, so we’re waiting for the goddess’s help,” she said. “We want no one to come back empty-handed, all wishes are granted through Hinglaj Mata.
The Hindu festival brings the Pakistani park to life. Hundreds of stalls pop up to sell snacks, drinks, jewelry, and clothing. Hot tubs are available outdoors or in thatched huts. Pilgrims buy coconuts, sweets, flowers, and incense for their ritual offerings.
Aloo Kumar, 55, wanted to express his gratitude to Lord Shiva, one of the three most important deities in Hinduism. “He blessed our family with a grandson,” Kumar said, pointing to the boy next to him who was cradling his little brother. We prayed for a grandson at last year’s festival. “
Hinglaj Mata is bustling with activity, even after dark. Fairy lamps and other decorations adorn the shrine and pilgrims jostle to position themselves at the front, holding young children for the deities to bless. The stewards urge them to pay homage and move on.
The park’s Hingol River offers Hindu pilgrims the opportunity for ritual bathing, like the Ganges in India.
Although Hindu worship is not banned in Pakistan, the open practice of the religion is routine, as ties between India and Pakistan are severed.
Travel restrictions and hostile bureaucracies largely prevent people from crossing the border for pleasure, study, and work; Countries rarely make exceptions for religious pilgrimages, often for Indian Sikhs.
Versimal Divani, secretary general of Hinglaj Mata, lamented that Hindus in Pakistan are allowed to attend the festival.
“We can make a stopover at this temple in our beloved country that our center desires,” Divani said. “But the rest of the world’s Hindus don’t. I would like the Pakistani government to grant them visas so that they can come here and receive blessings with, “It’s smart for people-to-people contacts and it’s also smart for the economy. “