Hemkund or the 'Snow Lake' nestles at a height of 4329 m amidst seven snow-covered mountains, which are collectively called Hemkund Parvat. The sacred star shaped gurudwara near the lake is one of the most important Sikh pilgrim centre and is visited by large number of Sikhs and Hindus from all over the world. There is also a Hindu mandir. These are the highest temples in India.
It is believed that Guru Govind Singh ji, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs meditated over here. Saints like Rishi Medhasa of the Markandeya Purana and legendary Lakshman, the brother of Lord Ram also performed penance here. A temple dedicated to Lord Lakshman is located near the gurudwara. The 15 km trek from Govindghat to Hemkund is very popular, with breathtaking views.
The high altitude Lokpal lake, known as Hemkund lies in heavenly environs. A steep trek from Ghangharia leads one to this spot in about four to six hours. For eight months of the year this 'lake of ice' is inaccessible, its water frozen beneath deep snow. When the monsoon rains begin, the ice and snow melt, and meadows of ferns and moss and wildflowers colour its banks. Then, in their thousands, Sikhs climb the steep stone path to the lake and bathe in its chill waters. They come in remembrance and prayer to see the place where their tenth Guru meditated and realized his oneness with God. To local Hindus the lake is known as Lokpal, and the temple there is dedicated to the god Lakshman. On festival days they journey to it from nearby Himalayan valleys to make offerings and give thanks. To these visitors, Sikh and Hindu alike, the lake and its environs are sacred.
In the Indian epic and Puranic literature, Himalayan landscapes are described as the dwelling places of gods and goddesses. Pilgrimage shrines mark the places where the land forms themselves: mountains, rivers, forests, and lakes are said to have acquired sacred qualities. High above the tree line, in the midst of a natural rock garden of moss, ferns, and flowers, is one such sacred place: a small, blue-green lake fed by water which cascades down from the surrounding mountain walls.
Sikhs believe that this holy place, is the tap asthan (place of meditation and prayer) at which the tenth and final living Guru of the Sikhs achieved union with God in his previous incarnation. From there, the Guru was summoned by God to be reborn into the world to teach the people the true path. The temple built on the shore of the lake commemorates his mission.
It also shelters the Guru Granth Sahib, the eternal scriptural Guru for the Sikh community. The community is itself recognized as a collective Guru, and pilgrims, as they walk the path toward Hemkunt, share the sacred journey with its members. In this way, all three forms of the Guru - the source of spiritual guidance - are understood to be present at Hemkund. Sikh pilgrims go there to be inspired to walk the same difficult path that the Guru walked, both in body and in spirit, and to, through the Guru's grace, realize their connection with God in the same place where the Guru realized his. At Hemkunt Sahib, Sikhs feel closer to the Guru and, through the Guru, closer to God.
This 'lake of ice' is also sacred to the hill people who live in the valley below. They tell of the gods Lakshman, Hanuman, Shiva, and Vishnu, the tales of their deeds woven together with images from local landscapes. Long before the Sikhs knew the lake as the Guru's tap asthan, these people knew it as Lokpal, and made annual pilgrimages to its shore. For them, as for Sikhs, the journey continues to be an act of devotion, and the holy lake itself is a place for prayer and worship - a place where wishes can be fulfilled.
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.
Neighouring Hemkund/Lokpal is an internationally famous national park. When he passed through the area after a climbing expedition in 1931, British mountaineer F.S. Smythe wrote that it "was the most beautiful valley that any of us had seen. We camped in it for two days and we remembered it afterwards as the Valley of Flowers." The name alone is enough to entice many trekkers from India and abroad to make the journey to this remote mountain meadow.
Transport
Air: Nearest airport is Jolly Grant, 307 km (Dehradun 334 km)
Rail: Nearest railhead is Rishikesh, 293 km
Road: Hemkund Saheb is 5 km from Ghangharia, which is approachable on foot from Govindghat which is connected by road with Rishikesh, Kotdwara, Dehradun, Haridwar, Nainital, Ranikhet and other important hill stations of Garhwal and Kumaon Hills.
Taxies : Private taxies and other light vehicles are also plying between Rishikesh and Govindghat and back. The charges are net fixed.
Petrol Pump : Pipalkoti, 55 km from Govindghat. Now also available at Jhadkula (Joshimath).
Hospital / Market / Bank: Joshimath
Post & Telegraph : Govindghat
Best time to visit : Mid July to mid August
Note:
Horses, Dandies, Coolies and Ponies are available at Govindghat for carrying luggage and food to Valley of Flowers or Hemkund.
Accomodation
Accommodation at Ghangharia Tourist Rest House
Reservation :
General Manager (Tourist)
Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Ltd.
Survey Chowk, Dehradun - 248001.
Assistant General Manager (Tourist)
Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Ltd.
Rishikesh 249201
Accommodation at Joshimath Forest Rest House : 2 rooms
Reservation : Deputy Conservator, Nanda Devi National Park, Joshimath
Gurudawara : Can accommodate approximately 5,000 visitors / tourists who can stay in 3 halls and 40 rooms.
Forest Rest House
Reservation Authority : D.M. Chamoli, D.F.O. Badrinath Forest Division
Tourist Rest House Ghangharia
Soruce: http://www.whereincity.com/photo-gallery/gurudwaras/hemkunt-sahib-63.htm
It is believed that Guru Govind Singh ji, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs meditated over here. Saints like Rishi Medhasa of the Markandeya Purana and legendary Lakshman, the brother of Lord Ram also performed penance here. A temple dedicated to Lord Lakshman is located near the gurudwara. The 15 km trek from Govindghat to Hemkund is very popular, with breathtaking views.
The high altitude Lokpal lake, known as Hemkund lies in heavenly environs. A steep trek from Ghangharia leads one to this spot in about four to six hours. For eight months of the year this 'lake of ice' is inaccessible, its water frozen beneath deep snow. When the monsoon rains begin, the ice and snow melt, and meadows of ferns and moss and wildflowers colour its banks. Then, in their thousands, Sikhs climb the steep stone path to the lake and bathe in its chill waters. They come in remembrance and prayer to see the place where their tenth Guru meditated and realized his oneness with God. To local Hindus the lake is known as Lokpal, and the temple there is dedicated to the god Lakshman. On festival days they journey to it from nearby Himalayan valleys to make offerings and give thanks. To these visitors, Sikh and Hindu alike, the lake and its environs are sacred.
In the Indian epic and Puranic literature, Himalayan landscapes are described as the dwelling places of gods and goddesses. Pilgrimage shrines mark the places where the land forms themselves: mountains, rivers, forests, and lakes are said to have acquired sacred qualities. High above the tree line, in the midst of a natural rock garden of moss, ferns, and flowers, is one such sacred place: a small, blue-green lake fed by water which cascades down from the surrounding mountain walls.
Sikhs believe that this holy place, is the tap asthan (place of meditation and prayer) at which the tenth and final living Guru of the Sikhs achieved union with God in his previous incarnation. From there, the Guru was summoned by God to be reborn into the world to teach the people the true path. The temple built on the shore of the lake commemorates his mission.
It also shelters the Guru Granth Sahib, the eternal scriptural Guru for the Sikh community. The community is itself recognized as a collective Guru, and pilgrims, as they walk the path toward Hemkunt, share the sacred journey with its members. In this way, all three forms of the Guru - the source of spiritual guidance - are understood to be present at Hemkund. Sikh pilgrims go there to be inspired to walk the same difficult path that the Guru walked, both in body and in spirit, and to, through the Guru's grace, realize their connection with God in the same place where the Guru realized his. At Hemkunt Sahib, Sikhs feel closer to the Guru and, through the Guru, closer to God.
This 'lake of ice' is also sacred to the hill people who live in the valley below. They tell of the gods Lakshman, Hanuman, Shiva, and Vishnu, the tales of their deeds woven together with images from local landscapes. Long before the Sikhs knew the lake as the Guru's tap asthan, these people knew it as Lokpal, and made annual pilgrimages to its shore. For them, as for Sikhs, the journey continues to be an act of devotion, and the holy lake itself is a place for prayer and worship - a place where wishes can be fulfilled.
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.
Neighouring Hemkund/Lokpal is an internationally famous national park. When he passed through the area after a climbing expedition in 1931, British mountaineer F.S. Smythe wrote that it "was the most beautiful valley that any of us had seen. We camped in it for two days and we remembered it afterwards as the Valley of Flowers." The name alone is enough to entice many trekkers from India and abroad to make the journey to this remote mountain meadow.
Transport
Air: Nearest airport is Jolly Grant, 307 km (Dehradun 334 km)
Rail: Nearest railhead is Rishikesh, 293 km
Road: Hemkund Saheb is 5 km from Ghangharia, which is approachable on foot from Govindghat which is connected by road with Rishikesh, Kotdwara, Dehradun, Haridwar, Nainital, Ranikhet and other important hill stations of Garhwal and Kumaon Hills.
Taxies : Private taxies and other light vehicles are also plying between Rishikesh and Govindghat and back. The charges are net fixed.
Petrol Pump : Pipalkoti, 55 km from Govindghat. Now also available at Jhadkula (Joshimath).
Hospital / Market / Bank: Joshimath
Post & Telegraph : Govindghat
Best time to visit : Mid July to mid August
Note:
Horses, Dandies, Coolies and Ponies are available at Govindghat for carrying luggage and food to Valley of Flowers or Hemkund.
Accomodation
Accommodation at Ghangharia Tourist Rest House
Reservation :
General Manager (Tourist)
Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Ltd.
Survey Chowk, Dehradun - 248001.
Assistant General Manager (Tourist)
Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Ltd.
Rishikesh 249201
Accommodation at Joshimath Forest Rest House : 2 rooms
Reservation : Deputy Conservator, Nanda Devi National Park, Joshimath
Gurudawara : Can accommodate approximately 5,000 visitors / tourists who can stay in 3 halls and 40 rooms.
Forest Rest House
Reservation Authority : D.M. Chamoli, D.F.O. Badrinath Forest Division
Tourist Rest House Ghangharia
Soruce: http://www.whereincity.com/photo-gallery/gurudwaras/hemkunt-sahib-63.htm
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