Going to Gurudwara Hemkunt Sahib: A guide



So, you want to go to Gurudwara Hemkunt Sahib? This guide will surely help you. 

Image: Gurudwara Hemkunt Sahib 

Note: This guide is for those people who want to go to Gurudwara Hemkunt Sahib as a pilgrim. If you want to go as a tourist this is not for you. Being a pilgrim means living in modest overnight accomodations (wherever you get it) and being thankful for it. 

Route, with mode: 
Delhi to Haridwar; Mode: Train, Bus, Car, Taxi
Haridwar to Rishikesh: Car, Bus
Rishikesh to Govind Ghat: Bus, Tempo Traveller (mini bus), Taxi 
Govind Ghat to Phulna: Only one type of Sumo Taxi on sharing basis 
Phulna to Govind Dham (Ghanghariya): Mode: Trekking, Mule/Pony ride or Helicopter
Govind Dham to Gurudwara Hemkunt Sahib: Trekking or Mule/Pony ride. 

There are direct trains from Delhi to Haridwar and not to Rishikesh. 
From Haridwar, Rishikesh is just 30-40 minutes (max 1 hour) away in road.  

If you want to take a car, you can take a direct car to Rishikesh from Delhi let's say.

People coming from Punjab use the Paonta Sahib route till Rishikesh. 

The Gurudwara Hemkunt Sahib is run by the Gurudwara Hemkunt Sahib Trust and they have many Gurudwaras under the Trust which have places to stay/rest. Some of these Gurudwaras are located at: 
1. Haridwar 
2. Rishikesh
3. Govind Ghat 
4. Govind Dham 
5. Sri Nagar (The one in Uttarakhand)
6. Joshimath 
And other places. 
Usually, in a normal trip you may end up staying two nights each at the following: 
1. Rishikesh Gurudwara 
2. Govind Ghat Gurudwara 
3. Govind Dham Gurudwara 

Note: The Gurudwara at Hemkunt Sahib opens from 4:00 am in the morning to 2:00 pm in the afternoon. The last ardas is at around 12 Noon. YOU CANNOT/AND SHOULD NOT STAY BEYOND 2 PM AT THE GURUDWARA. 

So once you reach Rishikesh, the Gurudwara Sahib is located near the Bus Stand on the other side of the Chandrabhaga Bridge. The Gurudwara is on the main road. 
The bridge seems crowded and has traffic.
Sharing autos from most places will take you to the Gurudwara at Rs 10 per person. 

The Gurudwara has the following facilities for PILGRIMS ONLY: 
1. Accomodation. 
2. Gurudwara Darshan. 

Note on accomodation: 
In peak season it gets crowded. If you are a pilgrim and with a family you may get a room or a hall. A hall is a common facility where there is a big room which is air conditioned and there are beddings on the ground for all people to sleep. There is a convenient common bathroom. The charges are nominal but one should donate more than that. 
So, once you reached Rishikesh from Delhi which takes 3-5 hours, you are advised to stay a night at Rishikesh. 
From Rishikesh to the next destination is a minimum of 8 hours and an average of 10-12 hours of road journey to Govind Ghat. 
There are government buses which run and which will take you there at Rs 620 per person. 
If you want to pre book this bus, you will have to take the ticket from Rishikesh to Badrinath instead of Govind Ghat. This along with online charges and reservation will cost Rs 675 per person. It starts at 5:30 am from Rishikesh Bus stand and the official time to arrive at Badrinath for this bus is 5:30 pm (written on the ticket). 

The other great option for PILGRIMS ONLY is Tempo travellers which start from Gurudwara Rishikesh at 5 am and these cost Rs 800 to Rs 1000 per person. These can be booked at the Gurudwara window. These are run by private operators, but are facilitated by gurudwara for the convenience of the sangat so they start on time and the pilgrims can go together. 

The government bus is good, comfortable and fast, but it stops at touristy places for food and tea breaks. Usually it will stop 2-3 times on the way. 

The tempo travellers from the Gurudwara will stop at Gurudwaras on the way (like Sri Nagar and Joshimath etc) and pilgrims can do additional darshan and partake langar. 

So leaving early from Rishikesh, you will reach Govind Ghat in the evening of the same day. 
The only option left is to stay the night here in Gurudwara Govind Ghat. This is a good idea as you can acclimatize, get pep talks from return pilgrims and rest after a back breaking 12 hour long sitting in the bus. 

Note on accomodation at Gurudwara Govind Ghat: 
It seems that mostly this Gurudwara has the hall facility for tourists. You can share a large space with others, sleep in bedding and use common bathrooms. The price will mostly be free or close to nominal for pilgrims only. 

The best idea from Govind Ghat is to leave really early to cross the small river across the Gurudwara on foot and just climb 1-2 bends on foot to get sharing common sumo cars which have reduced the trek from Govind Ghat to Govind Dham by 4kms. 

The shared car carries 10 passengers and costs Rs 50 per passenger. You can travel alone too, by paying Rs 50 x 10 = 500, all by yourself, but with other pilgrims waiting you will not likely have that option

Also note, you can also take a helicopter from Govind Ghat to Govind Dham which costs between 5000-6000 rupees one side and has to be pre booked online. 
 
The shared car reaches Phulna which is 4km from Govind Ghat. At Govind Ghat you would have already bought a rain coat and a trekking stick (You can also buy these before hand) 
It is here in Phulna that the non-motorable journay starts. 
You have two options from Phulna:
1. Trek 10 kilometres on a mountain path. 
2. Take a pony which costs Rs 1900. 

The trek will take 6-8 hours or more. The pony/mule ride will take 4-5 hours. 
The trek is physically exhausting and you are advised to carry water and glucose with you. As you keep going upwards, the rates of water and other food items will get inflated about 1.5 to 2 times. 
People will tell you stories about how they reached early quick and in lesser time. The advice is to go slow and take each step with rest so that you don't exhaust yourself for the more difficult trek for the next day. 

From Phulna you will reach Govind Dham or Ghanghariya. The place has a Gurudwara which serves as a base camp for Gurudwara Hemkunt Sahib. 

Gurudwara accomodation: There is large hall type accomodation, some of which is bunk bed with lots of blankets
As a pilgrim, you will be able to adjust. 
If you want luxury, there are some hotels (lodges) which charge crazy high during peak seasons. 
Most people selling you food and hotels are basically ripping you off with highli inflated rates in the peak season. 
Sleep the night at Gurudwara Govind Dham. 

Next day strategic planning. 
You are just a trek away from your final destination, ie, Gurudwara Hemkunt Sahib. 

Plan before hand whether you want to trek to the Gurudwara or take a pony as this will decide your time for departure from Gurudwara Govind Dham. 

If you want to trek on foot, LEAVE GOVIND DHAM BY 3 AM LATEST. 
If you want to take a pony, latest should be 6 AM. 
The reason is the time it takes. 
Also, Starting trek after 2 pm is prohibited from Govind Dham.

It takes 6 hours to trek on foot and takes around 2-3 hours by pony. 
Pony costs 2800 rupees up and down. Only up is 2000 rupees. Only down is 700-1000 rupees. 

One ardas takes place at around 8 am and one at 12 pm. 
You should ideally attend one, but can attend two if you plan well. 

As you leave latest by two, you can either walk or take a pony. 
It is advisable to rest at Govind Dham before trekking back to Govind Ghat. People do these two treks on the same day. It's even easier on a pony. 
Pony will cost 1300-1400 rupees from Govind Dham to Govind Ghat on the way back per person. 

For small kids, or luggage, there is also the facility of a pittoo or a person who would carry you/your luggage in a basket. There is also a palki or a palanquin where 4 people will carry you up and down. These are more expensive compared to a pony. You can negotiate the rates by asking around. 

Plan next journey back to Rishikesh from Govind Ghat considering it takes 8-12 hours on road. You should leave Govind Ghat ideally at 5-6 am but latest by 9 am so that you reach Rishikesh and get a place to stay or rest. 
You can stay at Rishikesh Gurudwara or stay at Haridwar Gurudwara before taking a transport to Delhi. 
The Haridwar Gurudwara is just next to the Haridwar railway station exit gate on the other side. It is in Nirmala Chawwani. The Gurudwara is comfortable and you will be able to catch your train on time. 

Rishikesh to Haridwar is just 30-40 minutes, but there can be traffic. Be prepared for the traffic jams which can take 30 minutes or more extra. 

If you wish to carry Prashad from Gurudwara Hemkunt Sahib, you can do so  from Gurudwara Govind Ghat only, or even Rishikesh. Pinni Prashad is not available at Gurudwara Hemkunt Sahib or Gurudwara Govind Dham. 

Some tips from travellers: 
1. Take a dip in the Hemkund Sarovar pond as soon as you reach before waiting for cooling down. It will refresh you.
2. Walk on the side of the mountain and not the gorge as the pony can push you and you can slip while trekking. 
3. Reach early, and leave by time. If you leave late, you will have trouble trekking down before the light goes down. 
4. Pre decide on the pony fare and make sure you have an oral agreement. Don't assume. 
5. Don't over eat of trekking or don't go empty stomach. Eat light. 
6. Dont accept food from strangers. 
7. Don't touch ANY vegetation. Some plants cause allergic reactions.
8. Take tortoise steps and walk consistently, reating while standing after each step. Don't sit often and break the tempo. 
9. DO NOT TAKE SHORTCUTS. There are many on the way, but take the paved path. 
10. Trek light. Use the Cloak room facilities in Gurudwaras to lighten your load as you move up. It is wise to carry minimum to Govind Dham and deposit most luggage at Govind Ghat. When at Govind Ghat, deposit further more luggage to lighten load. Carry just water bottle, umbrella/rain coat, some basic food and a spare towel and underwear for bathing when trekking to Gurudwara Hemkunt Sahib. DO carry a warm jacket or woolens. 
11. Arthritis patients, heart patients, aasthma patients, blood pressure patients, sugar patients and other patients please consult your doctor before trekking. There are basic doctor facilities at Govind Ghat, Govind Dham and Gurudwara Hemkunt Sahib. There is also oxygen facilty for emergency. Children below 10 years and adults over 70 years may also consult doctor before trekking. Please carry your own regular medicines with you. 
12. Pilgrim registration by Uttarakhand Government is compulsory. Please do pre registration before leaving. 




Image: Parking near Gurudwara Govind Ghat. 




Image: Taking a pony from Govind Dham to Gurudwara Hemkunt Sahib. 


Image: Take a minute off and enjoy the natural beauty and views around you. 



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