Hemkund Sahib pilgrimage slated to start from May 17

Tribune News Service

GS Paul

Amritsar, May 10

The pilgrimage to Gurdwara Sri Hemkund Sahib is all set to start on May 17, if everything goes according to plan. The portals of the revered Sikh shrine in Uttarakhand are scheduled to open on May 20

The trust head, Narinderjit Singh Bindra, has extended an invitation to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to join the pilgrimage.

Jawans of the 418 Independent Engineering Corps and members of Gurdwara Sri Hemkund Sahib Management Trust are on the job to clear the snow-clogged passage to the shrine.

The road to the shrine, located at a height of over 15,000 feet, is enveloped in a 10-foot blanket of snow on the Atlakoti glacier, ahead of the shrine. The shrine itself is covered by 8-12 feet of snow while the lake on whose banks it is situated is also covered with a layer of ice.

Bindra said a large portion of the passage had been cleared. “A six kilometre stretch between Gurdwara Hemkund Sahib and Gurdwara Gobind Dham is covered with snow, but till date at least four kilometre trek has been cleared. The pilgrimage would start at the scheduled date,” he said.

The first batch of pilgrims would be flagged off by Uttarakhand Governor Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (retd) on May 17 from Rishikesh. From there, the pilgrims would reach Govind Ghat by road and then Pulna village, the starting point of the trek. From Pulna, they undertake the 16-km trek to Hemkund.

Bindra said a helipad had also been prepared near Gurdwara Hemkund Sahib to meet any emergency. Special railings have also been installed on the passage for the safety of the pilgrims.

“Special X-ray and mobile medical labs too have been arranged in the hospital. For the convenience of pilgrims, rain shelters have been set up along the trek,” he said.

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