Hinglaj in Perspective

This chapter presents three distinct strains of the Goddess’s history, corresponding to the three main historical discourses shaping the current representations of Hinglaj and the ritual journeys relating to her. The first surveys the various mentions of Hinglaj Devi in ancient Sanskrit sources, including her link to the myth of the Goddess Sati. The second demonstrates how Hinglaj rose to her role as an important caste and clan Goddess for contemporary South Asian Hindus. The third provides a glimpse into how the shrine’s Zikri-Muslim history has transformed the Goddess into a representative of communal understanding between Muslims and Hindus in today’s Sindh. Laid over this approach is an overview of the recent infrastructural and other developments at and around the shrine and their effect on these historical narratives, including the recent emergence of the Lasi-Lohana caste as a new and powerful actor in the process of writing and rewriting the history of Hinglaj.