SHRI Hemkunt Sahib is the sacred place where Guru Gobind Singh spent a long time meditating in his previous birth. This fact has been mentioned in Bachittar Natak —

In the Himalayas, near the sacred Badrinath, there is a hill called Sapt-sring even today. Guru Gobind states that the Lord ordained him to take birth once again on earth to defeat and destroy evil. And to carry out the command of the Lord, Guru Gobind Singh took birth again in the house of Guru Tegh Bahadur and Mata Gujri at Patna Sahib.

After studying Bachittar Natak, Pandit Tara Singh Narottam set out to locate the said holy place in the Himalayas. He did a lot of research on the different mountains there. Later, in 1932, Sant Sohan Singh Tehriwala set up a memorial in the memory of Guru Gobind Singh.

Sant Sohan Singh met Bhai Vir Singh in 1935 and talked about his annual visits to Hemkunt Sahib since 1932 and expressed his desire to construct a gurdwara there for the benefits of pilgrims. And in 1936 the construction of the gurdwara started and initially a shrine measuring 10 feet by 10 feet was constructed.

The Guru Granth Sahib was placed at the shrine in 1937 and later the Nishan Sahib was also hoisted. Now many gurdwaras and dharamshalas have been established on the way to Hemkunt Sahib for the benefit of pilgrims. There is a gurdwara at Gobind Ghat from where one can go to Badrinath on a motorable road. From Gobind Ghat, one has to travel a distance of 17 km to reach Hemkunt Sahib. There is another gurdwara at Gobind Dham, 12 kilometres from Gobind Ghat. Gobind Dham was earlier known as Ghagaria. From Gobind Dham there is steep ascent of about 5 km to Hemkunt Sahib. Now a large number of buildings have been built near the gurdwaras, both at Gobind Ghat and Gobind Dham,

where the thousands of pilgrims who visit the gurdwaras every day can stay. Hemkunt Sahib normally remains open to pilgrims for about four and a half months, from the first week of June to the first week of October, depending upon the weather conditions. This region receives snow fall from early October till May.

In 1951, the Chief Khalsa Dewan, a representative body of Sikhs, was entrusted with the of upkeep and development of the main shrine. In 1960, Havaldar Modan Singh created a seven-member trust, called the Gurdwara Shri Hemkunt Sahib Management Trust, which has been looking after the shrine and the other gurdwaras in the vicinity.

For the pilgrims leaving for Hemkunt from Chandigarh or Delhi, the first halt is at Paonta Sahib, on the bank of the Yamuna in Himachal Pradesh. This town was founded by Guru Gobind Singh. The gurdwara complex at Paonta Sahib accommodates thousands of pilgrims on way to Hemkunt Sahib and back. Guru ka langar is run almost round the clock during the pilgrimage period i.e. from the month of June to October. After staying the night at Paonta Sahib, the pilgrims reach Rishikesh after passing through Dehra Dun. Rishikesh, too, has a gurdwara and many other establishments that provide accommodation to pilgrims. Normally pilgrims stay at Rishikesh for the night because the route from there is long and hilly. Next morning, the pilgrims go via Dev Prayag, situated on the confluence of the Bhagirathi and the Alaknanda rivers, to Srinagar (Garhwal). A big gurdwara is built at Srinagar for the stay of the pilgrims. From there the pilgrims pass through Rudra Prayag and Karn Paryag. A large number of temples are found at both these places. The next halt is at Joshimath which is a very significant and historical place. It is one of the four maths of Shankaracharya. A beautiful gurdwara has been built at Joshimath. This place is also famous for a large number of temples. Normally the pilgrims go to Gobind Ghat from Joshimath for night halt. Apart from serving langar, the gurdwara management at Gobind Ghat also provides woollen blankets. From Gobind Ghat a metalled road goes towards Badrinath, a historical place with many temples. Badrinath is about two hours away from Gobind Ghat by road.

A concrete bridge has been built on the Alaknanda by the Management of the Gurdwara Trust. From Gobind Ghat, after crossing the river, the journey towards Gobind Dham is resumed. A number of small shops on the way provide tea, snacks etc. Gobind Dham is situated at the height of more than 10,000 ft above sea level. From Gobind Dham, the Hemkunt Sahib Gurdwara complex is about 5 km away. Pilgrims normally start their journey for Hemkunt Sahib in the morning so as to reach there in about three hours. Old people engage ponies to reach Hemkunt Sahib from Gobind Dham or from Gobind Ghat itself.

While on way to Hemkunt Sahib from Gobind Dham there is a diversion which leads to the famous Valley of Flowers, about three and a half kilometres from Gobind Dham. This valley is flooded with flowers of various colours. Strangely, these flowers grow to full bloom in the month of August and wither away early in October when snow starts falling. People from various countries visit the Valley of Flowers every year to enjoy its natural beauty.

One gets a breathtaking view of the area from Hemkunt Sahib. The peaceful surroundings at Hemkunt Sahib makes one forget the materialistic world. There is a large pond there where the pilgrims take a holy dip. Because of the daily rains and also the height of the place, it becomes very cold in the afternoon. The manager and the sevadars of the gurdwara remain there to look after the shrine for the entire period from June to October. Proper arrangements, including heating arrangements, have now been made for the stay of the staff.

Normally the entire pilgrimage (going and coming) takes about seven days. But it is well worth the effort because its memories last a lifetime.