Churrio Jabal Durga Mata Temple
Churrio Jabal Durga Mata Temple
Entrance of Churrio Jabal Durga Mata temple.
Religion
AffiliationHinduism
DistrictTharparkar
DeityDurga
Location
LocationNagarparkar
StateSindh
CountryPakistanPakistan
Churrio Jabal Durga Mata Temple is located in Sindh
Churrio Jabal Durga Mata Temple
Shown within Sindh
Coordinates24°24′01.5″N71°03′53.0″E / 24.400417°N 71.064722°E / 24.400417; 71.064722
Architecture
TypeHindu temple

24°23′59.7″N71°03′53.8″E / 24.399917°N 71.064944°E / 24.399917; 71.064944

Churrio Jabal Durga Mata Temple (چوڙيو جبل, pronunciation: choo-ryo ja-bal) is situated on a hill named Churrio, located in Nangarparkar in the Tharparkar District in the Sindh province of Pakistan. Hindus bring cremated ashes of their departed beloveds to immerse in the holy water in the temple.[1] The valuable and multi-coloured hill supporting the temple is mined for its rare and expensive granite, which is posing a serious threat to the temple.[2]

Etymology

Way leading to the Temple

The name Churrio (Choryo)[1] is a word from Sindhi language, derived from a word (چوڙي), to be pronounced as (Choo-rree), which means 'a bangle'; thus the word Churrio — an adjective in Sindhi language — means "belonging to/related to bangles",[3] because in the vicinity of the hill there are a number of small villages that have historically remained attached to the profession of manufacturing bangles for women. These locally manufactured bangles are then transported out of the villages to the nearby towns like Nangarparkar up to Mithi in the west and Umerkot in the north. Accordingly, culturally, the women of the area dress in heavily embroidered clothes with bangles adorning their wrists.[4]

Significance

Inside the Churio jabal temple

Durga Mata temple, on Churrio Jabal hill in Chorrio village is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Durga,[5] who is attributed as destroyer of evil, triumph of good over evil, the mother of universe, and power behind the creation, preservation, and destruction of the world.[6] Thousands of pilgrims, not only from Pakistan, especially the provinces of Sindh, Baluchistan, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but also from Nepal, India and other countries visit Churrio Hill for their religious festivals.[7] The temple is a part of Hindu religious and cultural heritage in Sindh, Pakistan.[8] On Shivratri 200,000 pilgrims visit the temples. Hindus cremate the dead and ashes are preserved until Shivratri for immersion into holy water. Richer Pakistani Hindus go to India to immerse the ashes in Ganges and the rest visit Nagarparkar to immerse the ashes. However the area has been leased by the government for the mining by dynamite blasting of the hills on which the temples are located. This is posing a threat to the temples. Pilgrims held a protest against the destruction of this area by the miners.[1]

Mining

The Churrio Hill on which the temple exist is formed of granite.[9] Compared to the neighbouring areas of Rajasthan in India, where the granite is grey, the granite colour formation in Churrio is multicoloured and hence expensive.[10]

Mining is posing serious danger to the Hindu temples of the area.[5][8][1] The Hindu community protested against the mining.[1] Despite opposition by local Hindus, the digging work is going ahead. Instead of trying to put a stop to the digging activity, the Sindh government has issued a lease to a contractor to carry out the work.[11]

  • Churrio Jabal (Churrio Hill)
    Churrio Jabal (Churrio Hill)
  • Way leading to Churrio Jabal temple
    Way leading to Churrio Jabal temple
  • Churrio Durga temple is under threat from the dynamite mining
    Churrio Durga temple is under threat from the dynamite mining

See also

References

  1. ^ abcdeBajeer, Sajid; Iqbal, Aisha (9 March 2011). "Contractor blasting through Tharparkar temple in search of granite: Residents say Karachi company was given lease by Sindh government". The Express Tribune.
  2. ^"Pre-Feasibility Study: Granite Quarrying Project"(PDF). Sindh Board of Investment, Government of Sindh. 2010. Archived from the original(PDF) on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  3. ^Jam-e-Sindhi-Lughat, Sindhi Language Authority, 2004
  4. ^"Hindus celebrate Navratri and Durga Puja festival". Dawn. Dawn Media Group. 25 September 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  5. ^ abGossipmonger (16 March 2011). "Pvt company's excavation threatens ancient Hindu temple in Pak". Pakistan Defence.
  6. ^Shri Gyan Rajhans. "Navaratri: The 9 Divine Nights – 5 Things You Need To Know About". About.com. The New York Times Company. Archived from the original on 22 January 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  7. ^Guriro, Amar (19 March 2011). "In search of granite, path to Durga's temple blown up with dynamite". Pakistan Today. Karachi. Archived from the original on 24 July 2014.
  8. ^ ab"Threat to Durga Mata Temple, Nangarparkar, Sindh". Indus Asia Online Journal. 23 March 2011.
  9. ^Allah Wasayo Rajar; Gobind M. Herani; Ali Akbar Dhakan (Fall 2007). "Demographic, Social & Economic Changes in Tharparkar (1988-2006) - An Analysis"(PDF). Indus Journal of Management & Social Sciences. 1 (2:107-128). Archived from the original(PDF) on 1 June 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  10. ^Hasan, Arif (30 December 1987), Comprehensive Assessment of Drought and Famine in Sind Arid Zones Leading to a Realistic Short- and Long-Term Emergency Intervention Plan (Report AH-007)(PDF), retrieved 1 February 2026
  11. ^"Sindh: Shrinking Space of Tolerance". UNPO. Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization. 21 March 2011. Archived from the original on 2 June 2011.

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