Hemkund Sahib is the sacred place that lies in the heart of Devbhoomi Uttrakhand. You will find mainly Sikh devotees as well as Hindus in this holy place. Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara is devoted to Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth guru of the Sikh community.
As the Hindu community believes in doing the Chardham yatra once in their lifetime likewise Sikh community also believes in doing the Hemkund Sahib yatra at least once.
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Hemkund Sahib History
Hemkund derived from the Sanskrit word Hem(Snow) and Kund(Bowl) which means A bowl of snow! When you visit there then you get to understand why its called A bowl of snow or The lake of snow. According to Dasam(10th) Granth – The Lord gave ordered to Guru Gobind Singh Ji to take a bath in Holy Kund because he was in deep meditation at Mount Hemkunt. This is the same place where Pandu Raj did yoga for years. It’s situated on the altitude of 15,000fts. Thousands of devotees come every year to take a dip in that holy Kund and pay gratitude in Hemkund sahib gurudwara which is situated near the lake.
Which Is The Best Season To Go to Hemkund Sahib Ji Gurudwara?
Hemkund Sahib Yatra is open from May to Sept/Oct vary on the weather conditions which is usually 4-5 months in a year. Hemkund Sahib Yatra starts in the month of May/June which ends in almost Sept/Oct due to heavy snowfall throughout the year.
The best part of Hemkund Sahib Yatra is that after reaching the base camp in Ghangariya you can visit valley of Flowers also which is 4-5 km away. Many devotees visit Valley of Flower as a treat point after doing the darshan at Hemkund Sahib gurudwara.
How To Reach Hemkund Sahib?
By Air: If you are coming by flight from any part of the world, then you can fly to Delhi or Dehradun whichever you find affordable. From Dehradun to Govindghat(from where the trek starts) its 309 Km which takes 10-11 Hrs via Taxi/Bus/Bike.
From Delhi to Govindghat its 510 Km which takes 14-15 Hrs via taxi/Bus/Bike. So from Dehradun, you have to book your flights in advance because of less connectivity as compared to Delhi.
By Road: The nearest point to start your journey to Hemkund sahib is from Rishikesh/Haridwar. If you are traveling from Delhi/Chandigarh or any other place then get a bus to Rishikesh. You will find many options like sharing taxi/Bus or Rental Cars/Bikes for GOvindghat which is 270 Km from Rishikesh.
By Rail: If you are coming from rail then Rishikesh railway station will be the nearest one. You can take a shareable taxi/bus to Govindghat without any hurdles.
Hemkund Sahib Trek Route
Rishikesh/Haridwar – The First spot where you have to put the brake is Rishikesh or Haridwar. No matter from where you are coming, You have to start your journey from here only because you can find many options for transport. You can get travel stuff also for your journey as you can find various options.
Govindghat – It is the first place where you have to park your vehicle or get off from the bus to start your trek journey. From Govindghat its 20 Km trek to the Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara. You can either complete it in a day or a two. If you have limited days then you can complete 20 Km in one day and get back to Govindghat the next day. If you have 2 days then on 1st day you can stay in Ghangaria and then start your trek the next day to gurudwara which is 4-5 Km.
Ghangaria – Ghangaria is the base camp of the Hemkund sahib trek route. This is the point where devotees stay for a day to rest or have some time in the lap of the Himalayas. From Ghangaria it’s 4-5 Km of a trek to the gurudwara. This 5-6 Km of the route is somewhat difficult so don’t take it as an easy route. So make sure you keep yourself ready and have a peaceful darshan by keeping weather conditions in mind.
How Do You Get To Valley of Flowers?
If you want to go Valley of Flowers then the shortest route is from Ghangaria. First You have to reach Govindghat and then Govindghat to Ghangaria. From Ghangaria it’s a 4-5 Km trek to the valley of flowers.
You can visit Hemkund sahib Gurudwara first and then while coming back head off to Valley of Flowers because it will take a half-day to reach & come back and have a full rest in Govindghat or Joshimath which is 20 Km away.
Summary
In this Pandemic, rules are quite strict for outsiders and if you are planning to visit this month then you must have a valid Corona Test report which is valid only for 48 Hrs.
Second, you have to register on the official website of the Uttrakhand government to take the e-pass. Without an e-pass, you won’t get allow to enter the Uttrakhand state. So better review all the important guidelines by the government and then plan to visit because there is nothing important than life after all.
So I wish you a safe and happy traveling and I hope you’ll like this article.
See you down the road very soon!