A trip to Hemkunth Sahib

Hemkunth Sahib situated in the high rising terrains of the Uttrakhand Himalayas is an important sikh pilgrimage site. Situated at a height of 4320m above sea level and encircled by seven high rising peaks, Hemkunth Sahib offers eternal peace and sanctity to the pilgrims. The journey to this blessed site, where Guru Gobind Singh ji had prayed to Kalika the Shakti in his prior incarnation, is long and tiring but none the less a rewarding one.

Our trip to this eternally beautiful religious place situated in the lap of Himalayas began on the afternoon of 8^th June, 08, the Sunday. The initial journey was undertaken by car. We were eight of us in our family, so we had to travel by two cars, one a Tata Indica and another Maruti 800. This of course wasn’t our first trip, but none the less equally thrilling

It took us two days to reach Govind Ghat. From Govind Ghat the rest of the journey to Hemkunth Sahib is on foot. There are some other options available too like the mules and the palkis for those who find the climb difficult. This is the toughest part of the journey and spans over two to three days. The entire distance up to Hemkunth is about 19Km, of which first 13km need to be covered on day one to Govind Dham and the remaining 6km up to Hemkunth Sahib and then back to Govind Dham on Day two. The final 13km back are taken by some on day two, while others take it on the third day.

We started the climb to Govind Dham early in the morning at about five o clock. The track that followed was rather an uneven one sometimes leading us to a steep climb, and then at other times falling down with an equally steep dip. The rise and the fall were intertwined with the merciful gentler slopes and even patches. On one side of the never ending trek route was the fast rambling river accompanying it for most of the way. The entire flora that covered the other end of the path was of the exotic kind and entangled the pilgrims in its seductive beauty. There were a million varieties of beautiful herbs like the snake plant (Rauwolfia serpentine) that are a beauty to see, especially for those who have never seen a plant which has its terminal leaf spread like a fang of snake, then there were millions of bushes of rare wild flowers in full bloom. There were so many bushes of wild roses covering the slope that it was difficult to hold your attention to the sole task of climbing up the snake like topsy turvy path.

A lot of strong will and determination was tested all along as we slowly trudged along towards our destination. There were many small stalls too diverting our attention towards the various eatable and cold drinks, but we walked on carrying only a bottle of bislery water, as it is a well known fact and of course our previous experience too that the little we eat and drink will climbing up the better. The blood circulation must also be maintained to avoid cramping. So we only took one stoppage en route 3km less of Govind Dham.

The rest of the climb was a steep rise and a rather tiring one. The pace of steps became slow and the determination began to dwindle, but the distance was short and the destination near, so we kept crawling slowly towards our goal. There was a slight change in the flora now and the thick shrubby growth below started giving way to more of herb varieties. We of course had to concentrate more on our own breathing than the beautiful flora around. It wasn’t till we reached the Helipad that our spirits began to soar again as after this the path had become more even for about half a km before the final half km steep rise, but, by then we could see the signs of approach of Govind Dham.

We booked up a dormitory with Garhwal Vikas Mandal rest house, for our large group of eight people. There after lunch we collapsed into our beds, tired with our long journey up the slopes. We also needed adequate rest for the next days traverse up the mountains to our final destination, Hemkunth Sahib.

We spent the evening enjoying the cold mountain breeze and the stunning view presented to us by the high rising peaks that completely protected us from all sides. The soft white clouds were slowly creeping down and the tops of the mountains seemed to penetrate the sky. We could also make out the snow clad holy peak that beheld within its flanks the holy lake of Hemkunth Sahib where Guru Gobind Singh ji had meditated for long. We watched this enchanting view till the darkness began to spread its black cloak over all that was to be seen. We then visited the Gurudwara to seek blessings for the final success in reaching our destination and after a light dinner retired for the night.

The next day began early too as our group split into two parts the elders decided to scale the remaining six km of the ever rising steep climb on mule. We, the younger lot started early to reach up there in time as, our plan was to complete the entire descent down to Govind Ghat on the same day. Our aim was to keep ample time in hand for the visit to one of the four Dhams, Badrinath.

The climb this time was a steep upward rise in a zigzag shape of z. I took were small steps and climbed up with small durations of rest for catching the breadth. With height the oxygen begins to decrease and we cannot rush up with great speed. My strategy worked well and I climbed up steadily to my destination without any much help. The physiography here was fast changing and we could see glaciers in the slopes that were around. There were wild daisies flowering around at places and some other wild herbs too. This was no less a view than the valley of flowers that lies not so far off from Govind Dham.

We encountered the glacier 2km below the Hemkunth Sahib. There were quite a number of young volunteers cutting through the snow to pave way for pilgrims like us to pass through. This is the final part of the climb and the most difficult one too, especially the 1100 stairs at the end that take us to the end of our journey.

The view that lay ahead at the end of our journey was far more enchanting than any eye could have envisaged. It was heavenly a truly holy place to be. No wonder the pilgrims believe that Gods come down to bathe in the holy lake before dawn.

Beyond the Gurudwara is a small Mandir dedicated to Lakshman ji and the lake was half frozen as was the whole place around. It was really cold up there even though the sky was clear and there was no trace even of a whiff of cloud. The water of the lake where unfrozen was rather chilly but a dip was enough to end all tiredness that had accumulated over the days.

We walked down the top six km to Govind Dham from where after lunch we hired mules to reach down to the ghats as our intention was to reach Badrinath the same day.We reached the Ghats by 6:00 PM and Badrinath at around 10:00PM.

This was my third trip to Hemkunth Sahib, the previous being last year, and there is no wonder in the fact that I intend to return there next year too. It is one place that offers us spiritual harmony and also the thrill of adventure. It is where I get to test my determination and will power and get immense satisfaction too. Every experience that I have had journeying up to Hemkunth Sahib has been truly enriching.