Religion connects us with God and faith and by visiting a religious place, we get an opportunity to do our happiness, sorrow, and devotion directly to God, whether through idol or place. There are pilgrimage sites of many religions in India and today we are going to get all the information related to the Hemkund Sahib Yatra, the most important pilgrimage site for Sikhs.
Hemkund Sahib
Hemkund Sahib is an important pilgrimage site for Sikhs which is located in Chamoli, Uttarakhand. It is situated at an altitude of about 15200 feet above the Himalayas, on the banks of an icy lake, and in the middle of a mountain with 7 huge rocks. It is believed that Nishant sahib swings on these mountains. If we want to understand the meaning of Hemkund, it means Hem means ice, and Kund means small water body. Mainly 2 languages Hindi and Punjabi are spoken at the Hemkund Sahib site.
The beauty of Hemkund Sahib, situated on the foothills of the beautiful Pushpavati hills on the soil of Uttarakhand, mesmerizes. The temple of Lord Shri Ram and Lakshman ji situated near this Gurudwara also attracts Hindus to this holy place. This was an attempt to bind Hinduism and Sikhism in a single thread, which is mentioned in the Dasam Granth written by Guru Gobind Singh.
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On the Rishikesh-Badrinath Yatra route, 24 km from Joshimath, the trek to Hemkund starts from Govind Ghat near Pandukeshwar, near Alaknanda. Bhundar village is 10 km away from Govindghat and 4 km ahead of it is Ghangaria. There is a facility for the rest of the travelers at Ghangaria itself, from here one route goes to the world-famous Valley of Flowers at a distance of 2.50 km while the other route reaches Hemkund situated at a distance of 5.50 km.
Why is Hemkund Sahib famous?
Hemkund Sahib holds great importance for the Sikhs and most of the Sikh brothers and sisters believe in visiting here. Actually why Hemkund Sahib is famous among Sikhs because Hemkund Sahib is described in Dasam Granth written by Guru Gobind Singh of Sikhs and only people who believe in Dasam Granth also give great importance to the pilgrimage site of Hemkund Sahib. The Dasam Granth is a holy book of Sikhs, which has been collected in the words and compositions of the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, Govinda.
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However, due to the eternal commentaries and meanings written in the Dasam Granth, some people consider adulteration in this text, and such people have been thrown out of Sikhism by the Akal Takht. The mention of this tapasthali is found in the bizarre drama compiled in the Dasam Granth of Guru Gobind. In this book, it is mentioned -
हेमकुंड पर्वत है जहाँ सप्त श्रृंग सोहत है वहाँ,
तहाँ हम अधिक तपस्या साधी, महाकाल का अपराधी।
The ancient name of Hemkund is also Lokpal, where the people of Marchha tribe of the marginal village of Chamoli district come to offer traditional worship and ask for prayers in the summer season.
History of Hemkund Sahib
If we talk about the history of Hemkund Sahib, then in ancient times there used to be a temple at Hemkund Sahib site which was built by Lord Rama and Lakshman together. After this, Guru Gobind Singh, the greatest Guru of the Sikhs, did penance and worship here for many years and Guru Gobind Singh converted it into a Gurdwara.
The discovery of Hemkund started in 1930, after which a small Gurudwara was constructed here in 1935-36. Since then every year a crowd of Sikhs gathers at the Hemkund Sahib site and all are eager to visit Hemkund Sahib.
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Apart from this, there is also a need to know many interesting parts related to Guru Gobind Singh in the history of Hemkund Sahib, which hardly anyone knows. To know that, one has to know the history of Uttarakhand's dynasty.
How to reach Hemkund Sahib
If you wish to go to Hemkund Sahib site then you can choose both air and rail route but you will get all the transport facilities to reach Hemkund Sahib site only till Govindghat because and the only way to reach to Hemkund Sahib Starts from Govindghat and from here you have to trek to Hemkund Sthal.
Road to Hemkund Sahib by Rail
If you want to reach Hemkund Sahib by rail, then from Rishikesh station you can reach Govindghat by bus or taxi via Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Joshimath, etc.
Hemkund Sahib travel time
Hemkund is situated amidst seven huge rock-like mountains on the banks of an icy lake and sees 8 months of heavy snowfall in a year. The temperature here has a great effect on the journey, that is why the Uttarakhand government has ordered travel only between May and October so that the pilgrims do not have to face any kind of trouble. Although Hemkund Sahib is covered with a lot of snow throughout the year, between May and October, a route is made for travel here and the temperature remains favorable for travel. Travelers must take care of the instructions given by the government before coming to Hemkund Sahib.