Hindu pilgrims in Pakistan gathered for the start of the annual Hinglaj Yatra festival at the Hinglaj Mata temple in Baluchistan province. More than 100,000 Hindus were expected to participate in the three-day event. The temple, nestled within the dramatic surroundings of Hingol National Park, attracts pilgrims from all over Pakistan each year. The festival holds great significance for Hindu worshippers, who climb steep mud volcanoes, toss coconuts and rose petals into a crater, seeking divine blessings for their pilgrimage.
Despite being a Muslim-majority nation, Pakistan is home to 4.4 million Hindus, a minority that faces challenges but generally lives peacefully alongside their Muslim counterparts. The festival at Hinglaj Mata temple is one of the few Hindu sites that continues to draw large numbers of pilgrims annually. Hindus believe the temple is a sacred place where the remains of Sati, the goddess of marital felicity, reside. The event is deemed a sacred pilgrimage in the Hindu religion, with participants hoping for the forgiveness of sins and fulfillment of wishes through worship.
The journey to Hinglaj Mata temple begins with hundreds of kilometres of travel, often starting in neighbouring Sindh province. Packed buses transport pilgrims along the Makran Coastal Highway, with limited vehicular access forcing many to walk long distances over parched and rocky terrain to reach the holy sites. The festive atmosphere of the pilgrimage is evident as pilgrims clad in brightly coloured apparel traverse the arid landscape, braving dust-filled winds and harsh conditions to pay homage to the deity.
The festival at Hinglaj Mata temple brings the park to life with hundreds of stalls offering snacks, drinks, jewellery, and clothing for pilgrims. Pilgrims make ritualistic offerings of coconuts, sweetmeats, flowers, and incense as they seek blessings and express gratitude for answered prayers. The temple itself is adorned with decorations and fairy lights, while pilgrims partake in ritual bathing in the nearby Hingol River, similar to practices at India’s Ganges River. Despite tensions between India and Pakistan, the minority Hindu community in Pakistan continues to celebrate their faith and culture.
While openly practising Hinduism in Pakistan is not routine due to strained relations with India, the festival at Hinglaj Mata temple offers a space for Hindus to express their religious beliefs and traditions. The Pakistani government’s support for the annual festival allows local Hindus to partake in the pilgrimage, offering prayers and seeking blessings from the goddess. However, challenges exist for the minority Hindu community in Pakistan, as many people equate Hindus with India, leading to stigma and discrimination. Leaders within the Hindu community hope for increased people-to-people contact and economic benefits by welcoming Hindus from around the world to participate in the sacred event.
