The portals of Hemkund Sahib in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district opened on Saturday, commencing the annual Hemkund Sahib Yatra, as devotees chanted ‘Jo Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal’ at the Himalayan shrine.
The ceremonial Shobha Yatra carrying the holy Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, led by the Panj Pyaras, reached the shrine from the Govindghat base camp at 9am with religious fervour and traditional reverence.
As part of Sikh traditions, the head granthi carried the holy scripture on his head while devotees accompanied the procession singing kirtans. The Indian Army band also played devotional and martial tunes during the march
Army personnel, who earlier undertaken snow-clearing operations along the pilgrimage route, were actively engaged in crowd management and pilgrim safety arrangements during the opening ceremony.
After reaching the Darbar Hall, devotees participated in the recitation of the Sukhmani Sahib path, followed by a kirtan recital by renowned ragi Bhai Shubhdeep Singh.
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Several dignitaries attended the inaugural ceremony, including Narinder Jeet Singh Bindra, chairman of the Sri Hemkund Sahib Trust, Sewa Singh, in-charge of travel management from Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib, and Brigadier Batra, commandant, Indian Army.
Bindra appealed to devotees to refrain from photography and videography inside the gurudwara premises. He also urged pilgrims to make use of accommodation and langar facilities at the newly constructed Ratura Gurudwara to reduce pressure on other transit gurudwaras along the route.
Located at an altitude of more than 15,000 feet in the Himalayas, Hemkund Sahib attracts lakhs of pilgrims annually during the summer pilgrimage season. Officials said nearly 6,500 devotees paid obeisance at the shrine on the opening day, marking a strong beginning to this year’s yatra season.
