PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Jyotirmath
Since the portals of Hemkund Sahib opened on May 23, more than two lakh devotees have paid obeisance, while the shrine’s management trust stated on Monday that the portals would close for the winter on October 10. Informing this, the president of the Hemkund Sahib Management Trust, Narendra Jeet Singh Bindra said that the devotees must complete their pilgrimage before this date.
Informing further, he said that a little over 2,38,000 devotees from India and abroad have visited the holy shrine this year since its portals opened.
Nestled in the Himalayas at an altitude of over 15,000 feet, this sacred shrine holds a highly exalted place in the Sikh tradition. Surrounded by seven snow-capped peaks, it sits next to a glacial lake which is also deified as sacred.
“The beauty of the shrine, lake and their surroundings are now at their best. Multiple varieties of flowers are blooming here in abundance. Among them is the rare Brahma Kamal,” Bindra said, adding that the trust was fully satisfied with the security and other arrangements made by the Army, State government, district administration and police. “Besides, our volunteers and the entire community are working hard to make the pilgrimage smooth and memorable,” he stated.
