North India · Uttarakhand
Hemkund Sahib, Uttarakhand
Sources: wikimedia
Before you go
One of the highest gurudwaras in the world; open roughly June to early October, via a ~19 km trek from Govindghat through Ghangaria.
About Hemkund Sahib
- Mountains
- Lakeside
Where it is
Hemkund Sahib is a Sikh shrine beside a glacial lake at about 4,600 m in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, ringed by seven peaks of the Garhwal Himalaya and reached on foot from Govindghat through Ghangaria.
History
In the Bachittar Natak, Guru Gobind Singh wrote of meditating in a former life beside a lake among seven snowy peaks. Sikh seekers identified the place with Hemkund in the 1930s, a small gurudwara followed, and the present gurudwara was built from the 1960s onward; the Lokpal temple of Lakshman beside the lake is sacred to Hindus.
People
Most pilgrims are Sikhs from Punjab and beyond, served by sevadars who run langar along the route, while Garhwali villagers of the Bhyundar valley work as porters and pony-handlers. The path is snowbound for much of the year, so pilgrims come only in summer.
Known for
- Gurudwara Sri Hemkund Sahib
- The glacial lake among seven peaks
- The Lokpal Lakshman temple
- The trek via Ghangaria
- The Valley of Flowers nearby
Did you know?
The stone-paved path to Hemkund climbs about 1,100 m in its last 6 km from Ghangaria.
Shrines and sites
- Gurudwara Sri Hemkund Sahib
- Lokpal
- Valley of Flowers
Traditions
- Sikh
- Hindu
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.