HEADLINES:  

The gurudwara is situated in Uttaranchal's Garhwal area. The Gurudwara Hemkund Sahib alludes to a legend that Guru Gobind Singhji, before his birth, was meditating here and thereafter, was born on earth as a savior..

Gurudwara Sri Hemkund Sahib is the gurudwara which is set amidst towering snow-capped mountains and lying beside a lake of pristine blue water. The Sikh shrine of Sri Hemkunt Sahib looks, even to the not-particularly-pious, a place of almost unbelievable beauty and peace. Seven peaks - known as the Sapt Sring- surround the shrine, looming over lush green pastures. The lake's rocky shores are covered with snow through most of the year, but when the snow melts, the almost mythical yellow-green flower known as the Brahma Kamal, the `Lotus of the Gods', blooms amidst the rocks. It's a place of a rather wild and untamed beauty- and one of Sikhism's most important shrines.

The tenth and penultimate guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh ji had been meditating for years in these mountains, finally leaving his earthly form and uniting with the Almighty. The star-shaped Gurudwara Sri Hemkunt Sahib at a very great height of over 4,000 meters, is as such, a memorial to Guru Gobind Singh ji and a reminder of the saint's mission.

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

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 banks 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 eluded 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 has been widely believed among Sikhs that Guru Govind Singh introduced the features now universally associated with Sikhism.

This great saint 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.

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.

Many sages and religious teachers from the Hindu mythology, including Rishi Medhasa and Lakshman, Lord Rama's brother have meditated by this very lake. Even though its history dates back to several centuries, the Hem Kund gained popularity as a major pilgrimage centre only as late as 1930 after it was discovered by a Sikh Havaldar called Solan Singh.

Nearby tourist places to Gurudwara Baba Atal Sahib Almora Badrinath Kedarnath

• Through Airways:the Nearest airport is Jolly Grant, 307 kms. (Dehradun 334 kms).


• Through Railways:Through Railways, the nearest railhead is Rishikesh, 293 kms.


• Through Roadways:Through Roadways the gurudwara Hemkund Saheb is 5 Kms. from Ghangharia, which can be 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.