Uttarakhand: Doors of Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara open for devotees

The doors of Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara, a famous Sikh pilgrimage site in the upper Garhwal Himalayan region in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, opened for devotees on Sunday. After the arrival of 'Panj Pyare' in the morning, the doors of the gurudwara were opened for the devotees amidst Guru Ardas, Shabad Kirtan and Gurbani.

With this, the pilgrimage to Shri Hemkund Sahib has begun.

On this occasion, the gurudwara, situated at an altitude of 15,000 feet, was decorated with flowers and colorful flags. President of Hemkund Gurudwara Trust Narendrajit Singh Bindra and other officials were also present.

Snow is still covering the area around the gurudwara. However, a path has been made for devotees by clearing snow.

On Saturday, the first batch of Sikh devotees led by 'Panj Pyare' from Govindghat Gurudwara left for Hemkund Sahib with the holy Nishan Sahib. This group stayed the night at Ghangaria Gurudwara.

In the morning, this group left for Hemkund Sahib amid chants of "Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal". After reaching there, the doors of the gurudwara were opened for devotees at an auspicious time.

The pilgrimage to Hemkund Sahib begins in the month of May every year and continues till October. During this, lakhs of devotees from across the country and abroad reach there to pay obeisance.

Arrangements have been made by the police to ensure the safety and smooth journey of the devotees. Teams of State Disaster Response Force have also been deployed at the main stops of pilgrimage route