Hemkund Sahib Yatra: Indian Army personnel deployed to clear snow for the holy pilgrimage

Gurdwara Hemkund Sahib is a Sikh place of worship and pilgrimage site in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India.

Punjab India Hemkund-Sahib-Yatra

The Hemkund Sahib Yatra is set to commence on May 25. A team of army personnel has been deployed to clear out the snow from the path. Army soldiers in Atlakoti were seen clearing out snow on the Hemkund Sahib Yatra route, ensuring safe passage amid clear weather. Initially scheduled to embark on their journey on April 15, Indian Army were preparing to depart for Ghagriya where they would establish a base camp within the gurdwara complex and commence daily snow-clearing operations. 

 

However, in light of the state elections slated for April 19 and at the request of the gurdwara trust, the commencement of this vital task was rescheduled to April 20. In the presence of Guru Granth Sahib at Gurudwara Govind Ghat, prayers were offered and permission was sought, and the first group was sent off by Seva Singh, the chief manager of the Gurudwara Trust for Ghagariya. As per reports, 35 soldiers and Gurudwara volunteers are fulfilling this responsibility.

 

More about Gurudwara Hemkunt Sahib:

Gurdwara Hemkund Sahib is a Sikh place of worship and pilgrimage site in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India. It is also regarded as one of the holiest places of the Sikhs. It is devoted to Guru Gobind Singh (1666–1708), the tenth Sikh Guru, and finds mention in Dasam Granth. With its setting of a glacial lake surrounded by seven mountain peaks, each adorned by a Nishan Sahib on its cliff, it is located in the Garhwal Himalaya at an elevation of 4,572 metres (15,000 feet). It is approached from Govindghat on the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway. The main town near Gobindghat is Joshimath. The elevation of the lake at Hemkund is approximately 15,000 feet.

 

Hemkund is inaccessible from October through April because of snowbound paths and glaciers. Sikh pilgrims arrive in May and set to work to repair the damage to the path over the winter, which tradition is called kar seva ("selfless service"), a concept which forms an important tenet of the Sikh faith.

 

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