Chamoli: The annual pilgrimage to Gurdwara Sri Hemkund Sahib officially commenced on Saturday morning as the portals of the high-altitude Sikh shrine were opened to devotees amid traditional religious fervour and continuous prayers. Located at a striking altitude of nearly 15,225 feet above sea level in the picturesque Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, the revered Himalayan shrine welcomed a massive influx of over 3,000 pilgrims on the inaugural day of the summer yatra season.
The first official batch of the pilgrimage, led formally by the Panj Pyare (the five beloved ones), had commenced their steep uphill trek in the early hours of the morning from the Govindghat and Ghangaria base camps. Battling thin air and sub-zero temperatures, the initial contingent reached the snow-laden perimeter of Hemkund Sahib just in time for the ceremonial opening of the primary gurdwara doors. Prior to the final ascent, thousands of Sikh devotees had gathered at the intermediate base camp of Gurdwara Gobind Dham, situated at an altitude of approximately 10,000 feet, to rest and streamline their travel logistics.
For the grand opening ceremony, the management adorned the stone structure of the gurdwara with nearly five quintals of fresh decorative flowers transported from the plains. Adhering strictly to sacred Sikh protocols, the formal installation ceremony of the Guru Granth Sahib was reverently executed inside the central sanctum sanctorum immediately following the unlocking of the heavy doors. The day proceeded with extensive spiritual proceedings, including the continuous melodic recitation of Gurbani, devotional hymn singing by traditional ragi groups, the community Ardas prayer, and the reading of the first holy Hukamnama for the yatra season.
Given the challenging high-altitude terrain and unpredictable mountain weather, the Shri Hemkund Sahib Management Trust, in active coordination with the Uttarakhand state administration, has established elaborate safety and healthcare arrangements along the trekking corridor. State medical teams, emergency response units, and local police personnel have been systematically deployed across key transit points to monitor passenger flow, manage registration caps, and provide immediate medical assistance to devotees navigating the steep snow-cleared pathways.
