Hemkund Sahib- Lake & Gurudwara

Located in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand in Himalayan India, Hemkund Sahib gurudwara is among those rare places which provide an excellent mix of adventure and pilgrimage. Hemkund Sahib (also spelled Hemkunt) is a Sikh place of worship Gurudwara, known as Gurudwara Sri Hemkunt Sahib Ji, devoted to Guru Gobind Singh Ji (1666–1708), the tenth Sikh Guru, which finds mention in Dasam Granth, a piece of work believed to be narrated by Guru Gobind Singh Ji. It is situated at one end of a glacial lake surrounded by seven mountain peaks and each peak adorned by a Nishan Sahib on its cliff, it is located in the Himalayas at an elevation of 4632 meters (15,200 ft).

Just like Valley of flowers (read: http://vagabondimages.in/2013/09/11/valley-of-flowers/) approach to Hemkund is also via Joshimath, Govindghat and Ghangaria. From Ghangaria it is a 1,100-metre (3,600 ft)climb on a 6-kilometre (3.7 mi) of stone paved path leads Hemkund. Overnight stay is not allowed at Hemkund Sahib and so it is necessary to leave by 2 pm to make it back to Ghangaria by nightfall. There are gurudwaras for pilgrims and tourists at Govindghat (at confluence of Alaknanda and Laxman Ganga rivers) and another one at Ghangaria (at confluence of Laxman Ganga and Pushpawati rivers). Laxman Ganga originates from Hemkund, where is a Laxman temple, just behind the Gurudwara.

Although Hemkund has many mytholgical references, but the Gurudwara here was constructed in 1960s by some Indian armymen. Area around Hemkund lake is also known for some very rare flora including Brahma Kamal, which is state flower of Uttarakhand.

Beauty of the surroundings is simply mesmerizing

Guruwara is located at the starting edge of the lake

This Gurudwara is one of the most revered Sikh sites in the world

Guru Granth Sahib inside the Hemkund gurudwara

This is one of the few Himalayan lakes at such a high altitude

Hemkund lake is surrounded by seven hills which provide regular flow of water to the lake

Lokpal Laxman temple is located just behind the gurudwara

Brahma Kamal, the much revered flower of the Himalayas

The Brahma Kamal is an excellent example of plant life at the upper limit of high mountains (3,000-4,600 m). The thick curved root of the plant is applied to bruises and cuts, as part of local medicine. Brahma Kamal is the state flower of Uttarakhand.

The flowers bloom at the height of the monsoons and abundant in high-altitude places like The Valley of Flowers and Hemkund region. The bract-cover provides the warm space needed to bloom in the cold mountains

Whole valley is covered with some very rare herbs and shrubs

Waterfalls make an amazing view here

Just a thin sheet of water or a neatly carved web