Hemkund Sahib covered in eight feet of snow even in the month of June, this happened after 13 years
Uttarakhand experienced a drop in temperature as rain and snowfall occurred on Monday night. The cold weather intensified further with substantial snowfall in Hemkund Sahib. The Lokpal Laxman temple, situated within the Gurdwara premises, remains buried under approximately eight feet of snow. Similarly, Hemkund Sahib is also blanketed in a similar amount of snow.
The snowfall has also extended to Hemkund Sarovar, covering it in a layer of snow. Sardar Sewa Singh, the senior manager of Govindghat Gurdwara, mentioned that the amount of snowfall witnessed by Hemkund Sahib and Laxman Mandir in the month of June is unprecedented in the last 13 years.
After the snow was cleared from the route to Hemkund Sahib, the pilgrimage has become more accessible and convenient. On Monday, approximately 2,200 pilgrims visited Hemkund Sahib. However, around 300 children and elderly pilgrims were halted at Ghangaria. they were able to resume their journey on Tuesday.
Visiting hours for pilgrims to Hemkund Sahib have been restricted to a specific time frame, from 9 am to 10 am. It is noteworthy that Ardas, a Sikh prayer, is conducted daily at three different times in Hemkund Sahib: 9 am in the morning, 12:30 pm in the afternoon, and 2:30 pm in the afternoon. These prayer sessions hold significance for the pilgrims and are observed as part of their religious practice.
Following the incident of a glacier sliding on Sunday, the Ardas scheduled for 2:30 pm have been temporarily halted. As a precautionary measure, pilgrims will now be directed to return to Ghangaria from Hemkund Sahib after the 12:30 pm Ardas.
According to Sardar Seva Singh, the senior manager of Govindghat Gurdwara, a daily announcement is made at 1 o’clock at Hemkund Sahib urging pilgrims to return to Ghangaria. However, despite the appeal, many pilgrims tend to stay longer along the way due to exhaustion or the desire to take photographs.
