Uttarakhand: Hemkund Sahib in Chamoli enshrouded in white cover after fresh snowfall

World’s Highest Gurudwara Hemkund Sahib, nestled in the lap of Garhwal Himalayas, is perched at an elevation of more than 15,000 feet above the sea level. This holy shrine got its name from the glacial lake Hemkund, adjacent to the Gurudwara whose literal meaning is the ‘Lake of Snow’. It had opened it gates for the season on May 22 and since then has received more than 2 lakh devotees.

From the month of May, pilgrims start to arrive at Hemkund Sahib to help repair the damaged trail over the winter months first and then for performing pilgrimage. This tradition is called Kar Seva or selfless service, which forms an important concept in the Sikh faith. 

Hemkund Sahib also houses a scenic lake, in the water of which, the devotees take a dip. As per the Hindu mythology, Hemkunt Sahib was known as Lokpal, which is a lake that was a meditational ground of Lakshman, the brother of Lord Rama.

As one of the most revered Sikh shrines in Garhwal Himalayas, received fresh snowfall, the pilgrimage to the holy site was halted on Sunday, a day before the closing of its doors. Several videos have surfaced on social media that show a spectacular scene of the shrine enshrouded in a cover of snow.

Darma Valley, the last outpost near the China border in Uttarakhand, also received its first snowfall of the season on Tuesday. As there has been more than a foot of snow here, the cold has intensified in 14 Darma valley villages and seven Vyas valley villages in the high Himalayan area.

It had received about one foot of snow in the low-lying areas and more than four feet in the mountains at an elevation of 17,500 feet. In severe cases, security forces continue to guard the border from the last chec