After the Char Dhams of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri reopened recently, the portals of the Hemkund Sahib shrine in Uttarakhand will open at noon today as pilgrims are reaching this picturesque Gurdwara. The opening ceremony begins with "Prakash" at the Gurudwara every year and is attended by hundreds of pilgrims from various parts of the country and abroad. The Yatra will go on till October 10.
It is not easy to walk the path of the lord. A “shabad” in Sukhmani Sahib says , “Charan Chalo Marag Gobind, Mitey Paap japiye Har bind” (walk in the way of the lord , Sins are washed away, chanting the lord’s name , even for a moment ).This perfectly describes the Hemkund Sahib Yatra.
From the Golden Temple in Amritsar, a large group of Sikh devotees reaches Hemkund on foot every year and is given a rousing welcome at the shrine. It takes the group from Amritsar a month to walk to Hemkund! The trek to the shrine passes through some breathtaking stretches like the one along Hem Ganga. At an altitude of 1828 metres above sea level and 18 kilometres from Joshimath lies Gobind Ghat from where the motor road branches into two-one rising steeply as a pathway leading to Ghangharia at a height of 3048 metres .The other goes to Badrinath. The pilgrims to Hemkund stop at Ghangharia to rest and acclimatise themselves for higher altitudes.
Hemkund lake near the Gurudwara is encircled by seven snow clad peaks and reflects them beautifully on its crystal- clear serene waters. Guru Gobind Singh wrote in one of his works that he had meditated on the bank of this lake in one of his earlier births. The story is recounted in Bachitar Natak, which roughly translated means ‘Amazing’ ‘Beatific’ or ‘Unique’ Drama - an autobiography attributed to Guru Gobind Singh himself and included in the Dasam Granth. In poetic language, the author alludes to the place from which the Guru was called by God:
Hemkund Parvat Hai Jahan
Sapat Shring sobhit Hai Tahan.
Sapat Shring Tahan Nam Kahava.
Pandu Raj Jahan Yog Kamaya.
Tahan Hum Adhik Tapasya Sadhi.
Mahan Kal Kalika Aradhi.
Ehi Bidhi Karat Tapaya Bhaya.
Dwai Te Ek Rup Hwai Gayo.
The site was discovered by Sohan Singh and became a major pilgrimage centre only after 1930. It is also believed that lakshman meditated by this lake and regained health after being wounded by Meghnath, son of Ravana. The lakshmana Temple, which is also in the same premises as Hemkund, also reopens for worship with the traditional Pooja-Archana. Mid-August is the peak time of the Hemkund Sahib yatra..
Sohan Singh,a retired granthi from the army, discovered Hemkund. He journeyed through the Himalayas to search for it. When he saw a beautiful lake, he started to count the peaks which surrounded it, wondering if this could be the place described in Bachitar Natak. As he was counting, he heard a voice behind him say, "O Khalsa, kidhar se aye ho (from where did you come)IJ Kya dhundhte ho (for what do you search)IJ" Sohan Singh turned and saw a tall rishi (hermit) clad all in white. He had a long beard, heavy eyelids, and a face so radiant that Sohan Singh was unable to look at him eye to eye. So he bowed his head before the rishi and said, "Baba Ji, Mai Guru Gobind Singh ka tap asthan dhundhne aya hoon". The rishi gestured to a flat stone beside the water and said that this was the place at which the Guru had sat for so long in deep meditation. "Go and bow your head." Sohan Singh hastened to go, with his eyes filled with tears of joy. The ecstasy of fulfilment after a two year search left him somewhat dazed. Nevertheless, when he recovered a bit and resolved to ask the rishi more questions the holy man had disappeared.
Hemkund Sahib and the lakshman temple share the credit of being the world’s highest Gurudwara and temple respectively, situated as they are at an altitude of 4329 metres. No wonder the Hemkund Yatra is one of the most important events in the tourism calendar of Uttarakhand.