Geography and Shrine
The cave temple of Hinglaj Mata is located in a narrow gorge in the remote, hilly area of Lyari Tehsil in Pakistan's Balochistan province. It is situated 250 kilometres (160 mi) to the north-west of Karachi, 12 miles (19 km) inland from the Arabian Sea and 80 miles (130 km) to the west of the mouth of the Indus. It is located at the end of a range of Kheerthar hills, in the Makran desert stretch, on the west bank of Hingol River. The area puts under the Hingol National Park.
The shrine is located in a small natural cave. There is a low mud altar. There is no man-made image of the goddess. A small shapeless stone is worshipped as Hinglaj Mata. The stone is smeared with Sindoor (vermilion), which possibly gives the location its Sanskrit name Hingula, which is the root of the present-day name Hinglaj.
Other places of worship in and around Hinglaj are: Ganesh Deva, Mata Kali, Gurugorakh Nath Dooni, Braham Kudh, Tir Kundh, Gurunanak Kharao, Ramjarokha Bethak, Aneel Kundh On Chorasi Mountain, Chandra Goop, Khaririver and Aghore Pooja.
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