Hingol 2005 (4x4 Offroaders Club Karachi)

Vinder Chai

Fri, 29 Jul 2005 00:34:56 +0500

Fancy a cuppa?

The long road ahead

Fri, 29 Jul 2005 00:38:38 +0500

Early morning drive on the Gwadar coastal highway, somewhere at the beginning of the highway.

A 650km stripe

Fri, 29 Jul 2005 00:45:04 +0500

Follow the yellow striped road...

Donkey Cart

Fri, 29 Jul 2005 00:49:22 +0500

Donkey cart load of firewood under the hot mid day sun.

Hungol River

Fri, 29 Jul 2005 00:52:01 +0500

The signboard for the Hingol river. The bridge is right ahead.

Nani Mandar

Fri, 29 Jul 2005 00:56:10 +0500

The turning to Nani Mandar is just before the bridge.

How now brown cow

Fri, 29 Jul 2005 00:59:46 +0500

A solitary cow just off the turning to Nani Mandar.

Hingol River 1

Fri, 29 Jul 2005 01:02:52 +0500

A view of the Hingol river from the track to Nani Mandar.

Local Huts

Fri, 29 Jul 2005 01:07:12 +0500

En route to Nani Mandar.

Group Photo

Fri, 29 Jul 2005 21:31:16 +0500

On the Hingol River bed.

Hingol National Park Sign

Fri, 29 Jul 2005 21:37:44 +0500

Translation: "Hunting of wild animals and birds is banned - Wildlife Department Baluchistan"

Hinglaj Sign

Fri, 29 Jul 2005 21:44:02 +0500

"This way goes towards Hinglaj"

Groovy Mountain

Fri, 29 Jul 2005 21:46:46 +0500

The remains of a fossilized sea bed.

Red Man

Fri, 05 Aug 2005 23:12:53 +0500

A idol at Mata Hinglaj. This is a new addition.

Mata Hinglaj Reception

Fri, 05 Aug 2005 23:16:34 +0500

This is what greets one upon arriving at Mata Hinglaj. The main temples are from 15 minutes to 45 minutes walk from here.

Jay Maa Kalye

Fri, 05 Aug 2005 23:21:05 +0500

A sign next to the temple.

Shiva

Fri, 05 Aug 2005 23:25:44 +0500

A closeup. Next to the picture is the idol.

Approaching the temple

Fri, 05 Aug 2005 23:30:37 +0500

The walk to the temple is through a rocky and mostly dry river bed.

Untitled

Fri, 05 Aug 2005 23:37:09 +0500

An idol in the temple.

Sign in Temple

Sun, 07 Aug 2005 21:35:52 +0500

From Top Left: "Riddhi" " Siddhi" From Bottom Left: "Shubh" " Laabh" Sign of "Om" Omkaar on Coconut Sign of "Swastik" means Pious and prosperity.

Painting of Lord Shiva

Sun, 07 Aug 2005 21:46:45 +0500

Valley

Sun, 07 Aug 2005 21:52:15 +0500

Walking to the temples in Nani Mander. An idyllic walk along the stream.

Nani Mander Valley

Sun, 07 Aug 2005 21:57:57 +0500

The way to the temples.

View from the Valley

Sun, 07 Aug 2005 22:01:59 +0500

Looking up from the Nani Mander valley.

Sign at Nani Mander

Sun, 07 Aug 2005 22:05:06 +0500

Translation?

En route

Sun, 07 Aug 2005 23:21:51 +0500

On the way to Nani Mander.

NLC Fibre Optic

Sun, 07 Aug 2005 23:23:57 +0500

A fibre optic cable runs along the national highway.

Old man

Sun, 07 Aug 2005 23:25:44 +0500

We had stopped to ask him directions to the mud volcanoes.

Hingol river

Sun, 07 Aug 2005 23:30:15 +0500

Crossing the hingol river en route to hinglaj.

Rockface

Mon, 08 Aug 2005 00:02:03 +0500

weathered.

A shrinr

Mon, 08 Aug 2005 00:11:12 +0500

On the way to the main shrine/temple.

Inside

Mon, 08 Aug 2005 00:29:35 +0500

untitiled

Hingol river bed

Mon, 08 Aug 2005 00:31:28 +0500

The hingol river bed is mostly dry. The river is up ahead, a bit to the right. There are supposed to be crocodiles here, but we didn't see any, at least not on this trip.

Group Photo

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 21:30:46 +0500

Sheltering from the storm.

Looking Down

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 21:32:44 +0500

Looking down from halfway up the bigger mud volcanoe.

Sliding Down

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 22:00:07 +0500

The fastest way getting down.

RCD Highway

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 22:02:09 +0500

Somwhere outside Karachi, on the way to the Makran coastal highway.

Broken down truck

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 22:07:24 +0500

en route...

Rolling

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 22:35:03 +0500

...

Road to Hinglaj

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 22:37:06 +0500

en route...

Dry River bed

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 22:43:12 +0500

...

Hingol River bed

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 22:44:34 +0500

Dry as a bone.

A lone hut

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 22:45:59 +0500

a lone hut on the way to hinglaj. (well there were three of them).

At the Hingol

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 22:47:28 +0500

Standing in the hingol river bed.

Cracking up

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 22:50:31 +0500

it's dry, and drying even further

Fossilized Hill

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 22:52:23 +0500

An idol of Goddess Durga

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 22:54:45 +0500

Inside one of the main temples at Hinglach. This is a picture of an idol of Goddess Durga. Hinglaj Mata is one of 52 known shaktipeeths.

Rain shaped

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 22:57:17 +0500

worn away over the years by the rain and the wind.

Dusk

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 22:59:04 +0500

Somewhere near the hingol river.

Sandy Hills

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 23:00:22 +0500

Hingol River bed

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 23:01:56 +0500

A view of the hingol river, picture taken somewhere on the way to Hinglaj.

Sandstorm en route

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 23:04:01 +0500

Sand storms are a frequent occurence on the Makran Coastal Highway. This one severly limited visibilty - every now and then a gust would sweep along even more sand bringing visibility to zero for a few seconds as it swept across the road. The wind was fast enough to carry along small pebbles.

River bed

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 23:06:48 +0500

The river bed, walking towards the temples at Hinglaj.

Approaching the Mud Volcanoes

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 23:08:16 +0500

Driving to the mud volcanoes.

Driving

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 23:10:05 +0500

Almost there now...

Volcanoe Crater 1

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 23:13:01 +0500

A picture of the smaller mud volcanoe. There is a large lake inside, with a gas bubbling up.

Crater 2

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 23:34:38 +0500

Another view of the lake in the smaller mud volcanoe.

View from the bottom

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 23:35:27 +0500

Its a long way up.

View of Mud Volcanoe

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 23:36:03 +0500

Looking from the smaller mud volcanoe towards the larger one.

Climbing

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 23:37:35 +0500

It's a steep climb, as can be seen in this picture.

Mud Crater

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 23:38:46 +0500

Super quicksand...

View from the Volcano

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 23:40:09 +0500

Picture from the top of the largest mud volcano in the world.