Hemkunt Sahib Gurudwara is an important Sikh pilgrimage centre.
Sri Hemkunt Sahib, a well-known Sikh pilgrimage site, is located in the Himalayan peaks of northern India at a height of more than 15,000 feet above sea level. Every summer, tens of thousands of devotees travel there from all over the world.
However, pilgrimage to the Hemkunt Sahib in Uttarakhand's Chamoli has stopped just a day before the closing of its doors due to heavy snowfall, but a breathtaking sight of a shrine blanketed in snow can be seen in a recent video posted by the news agency ANI. The area has received snowfall of more than 2 feet.
Situated at an altitude of 15,225 feet, the gurdwara has been visited by over two lakh devotees ever since its doors were opened on May 22.
Hemkunt Sahib is considered to be the fifth Dham of Uttarakhand. Hemkunt Sahib (also known as Hemkunt Sahib) is visited by thousands of devotees from all over the globe every summer. The Gurudwara is situated beside a lake and it is believed that the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, had meditated at the site.
The name 'Hemkunt' means a 'lake of snow' as the gurudwara has a beautiful glacial lake where a holy dip is a must for pilgrims. Surrounded by seven snow-capped peaks, including the Hathi Parvat and Saptrishi peaks, the large lake reflects the divine surroundings on its sparkling waters. The gurudwara is visited by a large number of devotees before it closes down for the winter months between October and April.
According to Bachitra Natak, the autobiographical account of the tenth Guru, Gobind Singh, it was at Hemkunt "adorned with seven snow peaks" that he meditated in his previous birth.
According to the website of the Sri Hemkunt Sahib Management Trust, "It was during the thirties of the twentieth century that the place was discovered by Sant Sohan Singh and Bhai Modam Singh. Bhai Vir Singh, a Sikh savant and a leading figure of the Singh Sabha movement, played an important role first in helping these two gentlemen by verifying for them the location of the place and later by providing financial support for building a gurudwara at Hemkunt."