Uncertainty prevails over Hemkund Sahib pilgrimage
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, April 22
With Covid-19 outbreak in the country, uncertainty surrounds the pilgrimage to Hemkund Sahib.
Though the Hemkund Sahib Trust had announced to open the doors of the shrine on June 1, chances are bleak that it will meet the deadline, sources said.
Besides the imposition of the lockdown, the four-kilometre ‘astha path’ leading to the shrine is covered with around 15-18 feet thick layer of snow.
Trust vice-chairperson Narinder Pal Singh Bindra said the reopening of the shrine would have to be pushed beyond June 1 and the fresh dates would be announced only after reviewing the situation.
“Nothing can be decided till the things normalise. It was proposed to start the work of clearing the track, but it could not happen as the lockdown has been implemented till May 3,” he said.
Hemkund Sahib is located at an altitude of around 15,000 feet in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. The pilgrimage is dedicated to Guru Gobind Singh. The yatra is done only in the summer, between the first week of June and first week of October. From late October, the shrine becomes inaccessible till April because of snow.
Manager of Gurdwara Gobind Ghat Sewa Singh said usually Army men with the assistance of gurdwara employees and devotees clear the track for the devotees in May.
