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The high altitude Lokpal lake, known as Hemkund ( 4329 mts.) lies in heavenly environs. A steep trek from Ghangharia leads one to this spot in about four to six hours. It is an important pilgrimage for both Hindus and Sikhs, as well as for people from other faiths. There is a Sikh Gurudwara and a Lakshman temple built on the bank of the lake. Encircled by seven snow clad peaks and their associated glaciers, it reflects its surroundings enchantingly on its crystal clear serene waters. The glaciers from Hathi Parvat and Saptrishi peaks feed the lake and a small stream called Himganga flows out of this lake.

As alluded to, in the holy Granth Sahib, Guru Govind Singh, the tenth Guru of the Sikh faith had meditated on the bank of this lake in one of his earlier births. It is widely believed among Sikhs that Guru Govind Singh introduced the features now universally associated with Sikhism. On 15th April 1699, he started the new brotherhood called the Khalsa (meaning the pure, from the Persian word 'Khales') an inner core of the faithful, accepted by baptism (amrit).

The five K's' date from this period: kesh (uncut hair) kangha (comb), kirpan (dagger or short sword), kara (steel bangle), and kachh (boxer shorts). The most important is the uncut hair, adopted before the other four. The comb is sometime designated specially as wooden. The dagger and the shorts reflect military influence, while the bangle may be a from of charm.

It is believed that Lakshman, the younger brother of Ram, meditated by the lake and regained his health after being severely wounded by Meghnath, son of the demon Ravana, during battle. Despite its ancient connections, Hemkund/Lokpal was discovered by a Sikh Havaldar, Solan Singh and became a major pilgrimage centre only after 1930.

When to go

Sri Hemkunt Sahib is accessible only in the summer, between June and October. The rest of the year, heavy snows make passage impossible, and usually block off the trail leading up to the shrine.

Getting There

The town of Joshimath, only about 40 km from Hemkunt Sahib, is the most suitable roadhead for a pilgrimage to Hemkunt Sahib.The nearest railheads are Haridwar and Dehra Dun, both towns being a distance of around 270 kms from Joshimath.From any of the two towns you will be able to get a bus or hire a taxi to Joshimath.

From Joshimath, buses or hired taxis take pilgrims 20 km further to Gobindghat, the base camp for the trek to both the Valley of Flowers as well as Hemkunt Sahib. Hemkunt Sahib is 20 km trek from Gobindghat. Mules and sedan chairs can be hired at Gobindghat by those who can’t walk all the way to the shrine.

The trek to the shrine starts a little beyond Gobindghat. Devotees have to cross the Vishnuganga River and trek up to the Bhyundar Valley till they reach Ghangharia, known to the Sikhs as Gobind Dham. Ghangharia, which is at the confluence of the Pushpavati and the Lakshman Ganga rivers, is the last base before the steep 6 km climb to Hemkunt Sahib. Most pilgrims stay overnight at Ghangharia before starting on the last leg of the trek. Pilgrims usually begin early in the morning- well before sunrise- in order to complete the circuit to Hemkunt Sahib and back before evening.

Accommodation

There are state-run tourist resthouses at Joshimath and Ghangharia (Gobind Dham), but pilgrims to Hemkunt Sahib usually prefer to stay at the Hemkunt Sahib Trust’s resthouses along the way. These are situated at Haridwar, Rishikesh, Srinagar and Joshimath, and all offer clean accommodation and basic food, free of charge.

Facilities at Hemkunt Sahib are very limited- about the only thing the gurudwara can offer pilgrims is hot glasses of tea, a fire where cold hands can be thawed, and parshad, which is distributed at the end of each ardas. Only the granthis and the sevadars who work at the shrine are allowed to stay there for the night; all pilgrims are expected to go back to Ghangharia before nightfall.

The local Gurudwara at Ghangharia is huge and can, at a pinch, accommodate several thousand pilgrims. Besides the gurudwara, Ghangharia has several tourist lodges and resthouses.

Accommodation tariffs along the way can range from anywhere between Rs 50 to 700, or can even be free, depending upon where you stay.

Further information on Gurudwara Hemkunt Sahib can be obtained from the many offices of the GMVN (Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam) in Uttaranchal.