LORD RAMA'S PILIGRIMAGE TO HINGLAJ

A sage Kumbodhar explains that to cleanse himself of this sin, Rama should make a pilgrimage to Hinglaj Mata, the only place that can purify him

Rama follows the advice and immediately leaves with his army for Hinglaj. Sita, Lakshmana, and Hanuman also accompany him

At the mountain pass, the Goddess’s army, which guards the entry to her empire (Sacred Valley of Hinglaj) stopped them and a war broke out between them in which goddess's army defeated Ram's army and told his army must retreat

When Rama sends a messenger to the Goddess to inquire why she fought him, she responds that he must return to his first stop, which is now called Ram Bagh, and make the journey again as a simple pilgrim

So Rama leaves his entourage, his army, and vehicles behind and sets out to walk to the shrine, accompanied only by his closest friends.

Rama’s men are devastated at not being allowed to accompany their lord to the Goddess’s abode. The Devi thus promises them that their descendants will, at some point in time, all come back to do the pilgrimage

After only a few kilometers, Sita becomes thirsty in the burning desert heat and requests that Hanuman and Lakshmana bring her water.

Hanuman tries to extract water from the soil by stomping his foot violently on the ground, but this produces only a dry riverbed. With the same aim, Lakshmana shoots an arrow into the mountain range but only succeeds in detaching one of the hills

In agony, Sita places her palm down on the soil and thereby makes five wells appear, from which the group drinks. These five wells are known as Seeta Koowas. The river followed by a series of five wells reportedly produced either by the power of Sita or by Hinglaj herself

After a physically challenging journey, Rama reaches the shrine of the Goddess, and the Devi grants him purification of his sin. To mark his completed yātrā, he carves the symbols of the sun and moon on the mountain opposite the temple which can be seen even today