Hemkund Sahib is Sikh Religion Gurudwar in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. Located at the height of 4630 meters from sea level Hemkund Sahib is highest located Gurudwara in world. Hemkund means Snow Bowl in Sanskrit. Seven himalayan mountain peaks surround Hemkund Sahib. According to legends Guru Gobind Sahib (10th Guru of Sikh Religion) meditated here in his previous incarnation. Hemkund Sahib is located on the bank of small glacial lake. Hemkund Sahib is covered in snow most part of the year from October to June. Hemkund Sahib Yatra is open in June after the snow is clear and in october it starts snow season again. During the July and August when Valley of flowers is on full blossom Hemkund Sahib is widely visited by Sikh Pilgrims. Hundreds of Bikes / vehicles can be seen while driving from Rishikesh to Joshimath with Sikh religion flag on it.
Places to visit in and around Hemkund Sahib :
- Hemkund Sahib & Lakshman Temple
- Valley of Flowers
- Ghangharia
Things to do in Hemkund Sahib :
- Hiking and Trekking around
- Meditation
- Photography
- Valley of flowers
Best time to visit Hemkund Sahib :
Hemkund Sahib can be visited during June - July - Aug and Sep. However July August is best time to visit if you don't mind some rain. July August month is good because of valley of flowers season. Both Hemkund Sahib and Valley of flowers can be covered together.
Accommodation & Meals at Hemkund Sahib :
Accommodation at Hemkund Sahib is not possible for normal tourist as only Gurudwara exist at Hemkund Sahib. Tourist generally stay at Ghangharia 5 kms downhill. Ghangharia acts as base for both Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib. Ghangharia has some hotels as well as some camps. Better to reach little early to get better stay at Ghangharia. 03 Nights stay at advised due to Hemkund Sahib and Valley of flowers visit for one day each. Food at Hemkund Sahib is offered by Gurudwara. Prasad is offered to all regardless of religion / caste / nationality. North Indian food is most common at Ghangharia like Dal / Rajama / Rice / Roti / Paratha / Paneer etc. Some south indian and chinese food options are also available.
How to reach Hemkund Sahib :
By Road: Hemkund Sahib is currently not accesible by road. Nearest road is till Pulna which is 14 kms by trekking in total. Govindghat to Pulna 4 kms road is completed now so 4 kms distance can be reached by jeep. Generally all tourist park their vehicles at Govindghat or reach here by public transport/taxi and reach Pulna by local jeep. Pulna has limited space for parking. Govindghat is 270 kms far from Rishikesh via Devprayag - Srinagar - Rudraprayag - Karnprayag - Joshimath. Approx 8-9 hrs drive which can take 1-2 hours extra in monsoon. Via Rishikesh Govindghat can be reached from Delhi.
By Railway: Rishikesh is nearest railway station but very few trains reach here. Haridwar is good option for Hemkund Sahib. Haridwar railway station is approx 10 hours drive (300 kms) from Govindghat. Haridwar is well connected by trains from many major cities like Delhi - Mumbai - Amritsar - Varanasi - Howrah.
By Air: Dehradun Jollygrant is nearest Airport at 300 kms from Govindghat. Dehradun Airport has multiple flights from Delhi as well as regular flights from Mumbai Lucknow Ahmedabad.