Located at an altitude of 15,000 feet from the sea level, Shri Hem Kund sahib is a significant holy shrine and pilgrimage destination for Sikhs in India . Thousands of devotees take on this arduous yet picturesque pilgrimage every year. Built on the banks of the glacial Lokpal Lake and surrounded by seven gigantic yet mesmerizing peaks, it is located in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand . While this shrine is devoted to the tenth Sikh Guru, Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji (1666–1708), Hindu pilgrims hold this shrine in high accord for their mythological God, Lakshmana, with tales of association to this site from Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Religious Significance
The tenth Sikh Guru, Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, is believed to meditate on the banks of the Hemkund lake. According to the Hindu mythology, even Rishi Medhasa of Markandeya Purana and Lakshman are said to have meditated at this place. In an interesting mythological tale, it is said that Lakshman was brought to the banks of the river after getting into a fight with Ravana’s son and getting seriously wounded. Hanuman, who was an avid devotee of Lord Ram, Lakshman’s older brother, found a life-saving herb for Lakshman’s revival and recovery. When the herb showed its miracle and Lakshman’s life was saved, it is said that in celebration, flowers were showered from heaven. They fell at a place which is today known as the Valley of Flowers, a beautiful place near Hem Kund Sahib.
As far as the significance of Sikh history goes, the search for Shri Hem Kund Sahib commenced in the late nineteenth century. The shrine has been mentioned in the Dasam Granth, a text written by the tenth Guru on his ideas and guidelines for the future of Sikhism. While the first Sikh to speculate Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s place of meditation was a writer named Bhai Santokh Singh in 1843, it was in 1884 that Pandit Tara Singh Narotam, a Nirmala Scholar, was geographically able to trace its location. It was much later that Shri Hem Kund Sahib started developing and became what it is today by a Sikh scholar Bhai Vir Singh.
Where to Stay
Unfortunately, there is no staying facility of hotel or lodges in Hem Kund Sahib. Due to the weather conditions and lack of proper infrastructure, it is not allowed to stay inside the Gurudwara. After the holy prayers and spending time at the Gurudwara, one must leave latest by 2 PM to come down to Ghangaria to stay the night. The place has a Gurudwara and a few hotels. However, the hotels are in remote areas, and due to the lack of phone and internet connectivity, it is very difficult to book a room in those hotels. There is also a campground with tents and mattresses. Most people prefer staying at the Gurudwara.