Hemkund Sahib is a Sikh pilgrimage site in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India. Known also as Gurudwara Hemkund Sahib, it stands at an altitude of 4,329 metres, beside a glacial lake. The setting is high and quiet, and the shrine is the reason most people make the climb.
What to expect
The site is a place of worship first, so visitors are expected to arrive with respect for the faith and its practices. The surrounding landscape of mountains, cold water and open sky gives the visit a character quite unlike a city shrine. The air is thin at this height, so the pace of a visit is naturally slow.
Planning the visit
- Location: Hemkund, Chamoli, Uttarakhand 246443, India
- Contact: +91-1372-222226
- Setting: a glacial lake at high altitude, reached on foot from the surrounding valley
Because the site sits so high, it is worth checking conditions and contacting the shrine before setting out. Warm layers and sturdy footwear suit the terrain and the temperatures, whatever the season.
Around the area
The shrine lies within Chamoli district, a region of the Garhwal Himalaya. Visitors who come this far often combine the pilgrimage with time among the valleys and mountain villages of the wider area, which offers a sense of how the hills are lived in as well as how they are seen from above.