Chandragup

The Hingol mud volcanoes () are located in Lasbela District, Balochistan, Pakistan at a distance of around 100 km from Uthal, which is the headquarter of District Lasbela. The mud volcanoes are located in Hingol National Park which is the largest national park in Pakistan. It contains about ten clusters of mud volcanoes, the most important of which are Chandragup and Khandewari volcanoes.

These are not located on the main road about a kilometer off the Makran Coastal Highway leading from Lasbela to Gwadar; the locals may provide guidance to the exact location. A landmark is a SSGC installation. The site is a complex of three major mud volcanoes and a number of smaller ones.

The three mud volcanoes of the location are named as Chandragup1, Chandragup2 and Chandragup3. One of which is a 300-foot-high mud volcano. It is a sacred annual pilgrimage site for Hindus, along with the closeby Hinglaj Mata mandir. Also known as Chandrakup, the volcano is considered holy by Hindus and is an important stop for pilgrims on their way to the Hinglaj Mata temple.Mud Volcanoes of Balochistan
, Owais Mughal, 2 March 2007, All Things Pakistan, Accessed: 25 September 2012, ''... Very close to Chandargup is an ancient Hindu temple called ‘Hinglaj temple’ or ‘Nani Temple’. There are many pronunciations of the word Chandragup in practise. Due to close proximity a Hindu temple to these volcanoes, it is very likely that the word Chandargup is actually derived from the word ‘Chandargupt’. Another word which locally mentions this group of volcanoes is ‘Chandra coop’ which means Volcanoes of the Moon ... The Hindus worship these mud volcanoes as the habitation of a deity Babhaknath ...'' Devotees throw coconuts into the craters to make wishes and thank the gods for answering their prayers.

Chandragup

Chandragup is an active mud volcano located in Hingol National Park in Balochistan, Pakistan.Muddy Coasts of the World: Processes, Deposits, and Function
pp. 149, Gulf Professional Publishing, 2002, , ''... The Las Bela Coastal Plain in Baluchistan is also renowned for the occurrence of mud volcanoes (Snead 1964). The largest one of these, the Chandragup, forms an almost perfect cone 58 m high ...'' Also known as Chandrakup, the volcano is considered holy by Hindus and is an important stop for pilgrims on their way to the shrine of Shri Hinglaj Mata temple.Mud Volcanoes of Balochistan
, Owais Mughal, 2 March 2007, All Things Pakistan, Accessed: 25 September 2012, ''... Very close to Chandargup is an ancient Hindu temple called ‘Hinglaj temple’ or ‘Nani Temple’. There are many pronunciations of the word Chandragup in practise. Due to close proximity a Hindu temple to these volcanoes, it is very likely that the word Chandargup is actually derived from the word ‘Chandargupt’. Another word which locally mentions this group of volcanoes is ‘Chandra coop’ which means Volcanoes of the Moon ... The Hindus worship these mud volcanoes as the habitation of a deity Babhaknath ...''

The Chandragup mud volcano is worshipped as an embodiment
of the Hindu god Shiva, and called Baba Chandragup. Pilgrims to the volcano believe that the Shri Hinglaj Mata temple may only be entered only after paying homage to Baba Chandrakup. Traditionally, the pilgrim stays awake all night, fasting and meditating on the sins they will confess at the rim the following day. They bake roti made out of ingredients contributed by all the yātrīs. On the next day they ascend the slope of Chandrakup, and the roṭi is served as an offering to Baba Chandrakup. Nowadays, coconuts, betel nut and dal are also offered. At the volcano's peak, the pilgrims must introduce themselves with their full name and place of origin and then call out their sins in front of the group. According to the bubbling of the mud and the reaction of the wind, the chaṛīdār is able to tell if the pilgrim's sins are forgiven.

Devotees throw coconuts into the craters to make wishes and thank the gods for answering their prayers.

Gallery

File:Chandragup_I_Mud_Volcano.jpg, The view of Chandragup I mud volcano
Image:HangolMudvolcano.JPG, Mud Volcano 1
Image:HangolMudvolcano2.JPG, Mud Volcano 2
Image:HangolMudvolcano3.JPG, Mud Volcano 3

See also

*List of volcanoes in Pakistan
*Shri Hinglaj Mata temple
*Hinduism in Balochistan

References

Volcanoes of Pakistan
Mud volcanoes
Landforms of Balochistan (Pakistan)
Natural history of Balochistan, Pakistan
Protected areas of Balochistan, Pakistan
Hinduism in Balochistan, Pakistan

{{Baluchistan-geo-stub