Hemkund Sahib pilgrimage resumes

Sarbjit Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 1

Pilgrimage to Hemkund Sahib, which was stopped due to inclement weather, has now resumed. Route to Hemkund Sahib has been cleared and the bridge near Bhandra village has been partially restored.

Earlier, only young persons were allowed to proceed to the shrine. There restriction has been lifted.

“Today, 300 pilgrims left for Gobind Dham from Gobind Ghat. Tomorrow, they would further travel to Hemkund Sahib,” said Sewa Singh, manager of Gobind Ghat gurdwara, from where pilgrims travel 19 km on foot to reach Hemkund Sahib after a halt at Gobind Dham.

With summer vacations coming to an end, there is a decline in the number of pilgrims. “Most pilgrims visit Hemkund Sahib shrine during summer vacations in the month of June,” said Sewa Singh. He said it was raining in Hemkund Sahid region for the past two days.

“There is nothing to worry about, but the pilgrims have been told to remain alert while walking towards Hemkund Sahib. The route gets blocked temporarily sometimes, but the pilgrims should not panic due to these disruptions,” he said.

Asked about when the bridge near Bhandra village would be repaired fully, he said it would take some more days to complete the task. “The ongoing rain has hampered the repair work,” he said.