Amidst snowfall and rainfall, the Sikh pilgrimage to Hemkund Sahib began on Monday with over 7,000 devotees visiting the shrine on the opening day.
Chief Minister Harish Rawat flagged off the yatra from Chamoli district’s Govindghat gurdwara on Sunday.
Seva Singh, the manager of the gurdwara, said: “Devotees can travel by their vehicles till Pulna [in Chamoli district], after which they will have to trek the 14.5-km path to reach Hemkund Sahib.” In June 2013, the Alaknanda river, which flows beside the gurdwara, swelled with water that swept away with it, the road, car-parking area, almost 50 shops, and parts of the gurdwara. About 5 lakh devotees visited the Sikh shrine before the 2013 tragedy.
