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Set amidst towering snow-capped mountains and
lying beside a lake of pristine blue water, the Sikh shrine of Sri Hemkunt Sahib looks,
even to the not-particularly-pious, a place of almost unbelievable beauty and peace. Seven
peaks - known as the Sapt Sring- surround the shrine, looming over lush green pastures.
The lake’s rocky shores are covered with snow through most of the year, but when the
snows melt, the almost mythical yellow-green flower known as the Brahma Kamal, the `Lotus
of the Gods’, blooms amidst the rocks. It’s a place of a rather wild and untamed
beauty- and one of Sikhism’s most important shrines. |
The tenth and penultimate
guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, meditated for years in these mountains, finally
leaving his earthly form and uniting with the Almighty. The star-shaped Gurudwara Hemkunt
Sahib, at a height of over 4,000 mt, is as such, a memorial to Guru Gobind Singh and a
reminder of the saint’s mission.
Every year, during the
summer months, thousands of Sikh devotees from across India and overseas complete the
arduous trek up to Sri Hemkunt Sahib. As a daily ritual, two congregational services are
held at Gurudwara Hemkunt Sahib, one at 10 am and the other at 1 pm. Kirtan
(hymns), ardas (prayer) and the daily hukamnama (the verse which appears
at the top of the page of the Guru Granth Sahib, when randomly opened by the granthi,
and understood as God’s commandment for the day) are integral parts of the service.
Pilgrims to the shrine join in, after having taken a dip in the holy waters of the lake.
The water of the lake- known as Amrit Sarovar- is ice cold, but doesn’t daunt the
devout. Much of the Sarovar, in fact, remains frozen till mid June.
Also next to the lake, and
not too far from the Gurudwara, is a Hindu temple of considerable significance. The lake,
which is known also as `Lokpal’, is believed to have been the place where Lakshman,
the brother of Ram, meditated. Other myths connect the lake to the Hindu deities Vishnu
and Shiva. The temple is an important Hindu shrine, but a number of Sikh pilgrims also
visit it while returning from Hemkunt Sahib.
When to go
Sri Hemkunt Sahib is accessible only in the summer, between June and October. The rest of
the year, heavy snows make passage impossible, and usually block off the trail leading up
to the shrine.
Getting There
The town of Joshimath, only about 40 km from Hemkunt Sahib, is the most suitable roadhead
for a pilgrimage to Hemkunt Sahib.The nearest railheads are Haridwar and Dehra Dun, both
towns being a distance of around 270 kms from Joshimath.From any of the two towns you will
be able to get a bus or hire a taxi to Joshimath.
From Joshimath, buses or hired taxis take pilgrims 20 km further to Gobindghat, the base
camp for the trek to both the Valley of Flowers as well as Hemkunt Sahib. Hemkunt Sahib is
20 km trek from Gobindghat. Mules and sedan chairs can be hired at Gobindghat by those who
can’t walk all the way to the shrine.
The trek to the shrine
starts a little beyond Gobindghat. Devotees have to cross the Vishnuganga River and trek
up to the Bhyundar Valley till they reach Ghangharia, known to the Sikhs as Gobind Dham.
Ghangharia, which is at the confluence of the Pushpavati and the Lakshman Ganga rivers, is
the last base before the steep 6 km climb to Hemkunt Sahib. Most pilgrims stay overnight
at Ghangharia before starting on the last leg of the trek. Pilgrims usually begin early in
the morning- well before sunrise- in order to complete the circuit to Hemkunt Sahib and
back before evening.
Accommodation
There are state-run tourist resthouses at Joshimath and Ghangharia (Gobind Dham), but
pilgrims to Hemkunt Sahib usually prefer to stay at the Hemkunt Sahib Trust’s
resthouses along the way. These are situated at Haridwar, Rishikesh, Srinagar and
Joshimath, and all offer clean accommodation and basic food, free of charge.
Facilities at Hemkunt Sahib
are very limited- about the only thing the gurudwara can offer pilgrims is hot glasses of
tea, a fire where cold hands can be thawed, and parshad, which is distributed at
the end of each ardas. Only the granthis and the sevadars who
work at the shrine are allowed to stay there for the night; all pilgrims are expected to
go back to Ghangharia before nightfall.
The local Gurudwara at
Ghangharia is huge and can, at a pinch, accommodate several thousand pilgrims. Besides the
gurudwara, Ghangharia has several tourist lodges and resthouses.
Accommodation tariffs along
the way can range from anywhere between Rs 50 to 700, or can even be free, depending upon
where you stay.
Further information on
Gurudwara Hemkunt Sahib can be obtained from the many offices of the GMVN (Garhwal Mandal
Vikas Nigam) in Uttaranchal.
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