Vaccination camp set up at Hindu festival
QUETTA: An anti-polio vaccination camp has been set up near the River Hangol area of Lasbela district during the four-day Hinglaj Mela at the Sri Maata Hinglaj Mandir on the special directive of Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Jam Kamal Khan.
Deputy Commissioner Lasbela Shabbir Ahmed Mengal formed eight teams of polio workers who are dispensing polio drops to children below five years of Hindu pilgrims.
Moreover, the Health Department and WHO teams are using all modes of transport including camels to send anti-polio vaccines out in the field so as to not miss any child during the festival at the revered Hindu pilgrimage site, attended every year by thousands of Hindus from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Maldives.
Hinglaj, a town at the centre of the Hingol National Park in Balochistan, is an important religious place of the Hindu community and is recognised as such by the Pakistani government which issues visa to pilgrims from India and other countries for pilgrimage. Former Indian foreign minister and senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh was one of the dignitaries who had come with a delegation for the Hinglaj yatra in 2006. Munabao-Khokhrapar (Zero Point) border was especially opened a few days before its official opening for the delegation.
According to a legend Hingol and Sundar were the sons of King Vichitra who were oppressing their people. Sundar was killed by deity Ganesha and the people then prayed to Hinglaj Mata, goddess in the form of Durga or Devi, to kill Hingol. Before she killed him, Hingol requested Hinglaj Mata that the place be named after him and she granted him this request.
Another legend recounts that Sufi saint Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai visited this sanctuary once and addressed the Hinglaj Devi statue “Nani Maa” (grandmother) and she immediately responded. Hence, Sri Maata Hinglaj Mandir is also known as Nani Mandir.
According to the parliamentary secretary of religious affairs, Balochistan, Danesh Kumar, over one million pilgrims have come for the pilgrimage. “The Balochistan government has made elaborate arrangements to provide security to the pilgrims. Hundreds of security personnel have been deployed along the route leading to Hinglaj,” he said.
Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2019