Hemkund Sahib

Hemkund Sahib stands at about 4,630 metres beside a glacial lake ringed by seven peaks, identified with the place described in the writings of Guru Gobind Singh, and it is among the highest gurudwaras in the world. It can only be reached on foot or by pony: a walk of roughly thirteen kilometres from Govindghat to Ghangaria, then a steep six kilometres more, climbing about a thousand metres. Pilgrims bathe in the lake, which stays near freezing, before entering. Snow closes the route for most of the year and the shrine opens roughly from late May to early October. The Valley of Flowers branches off the same trail.

History

The name joins the Sanskrit hem, "snow", and kund, "bowl", and the gurdwara is devoted to Guru Gobind Singh, tenth Guru of the Sikhs. The Dasam Granth says that in a former life Guru Gobind Singh meditated intensely at Hemkund (Wikipedia, Gurdwara Hemkund Sahib).

The main sights

• The glacial lake - dark water ringed by seven peaks below the shrine.
• The gurudwara - one of the highest Sikh shrines in the world.
• The climb - about nineteen kilometres in total, the last part very steep.
• The Brahma Kamal - the high-altitude flower growing around the lake.

When to go

June to early October, the only months the route is clear; July and August bring monsoon rain and the Valley of Flowers alongside at its peak. Snow can close the trail at either end of the season.

Practical notes

The final climb is steep at altitude and hard for the unacclimatised; altitude sickness is common. Bathing in the lake is genuinely near freezing. Accommodation at Ghangaria is basic and books out.

Nearby

The Valley of Flowers branches off the same trail; Badrinath is north.