To reach Hemkund you need to start trekking from Govindghat, 15 km away, set at the convergence of the two rivers Alaknanda and Lakshman Ganga. You could start your trip with blessings from the gurudwara here. About 13 km away is a halt at the village of Gobindham or Ghangaria where you could either stay overnight or head on to Hemkund, which is a 5000 ft climb. Hemkund is at an altitude of 4,329 mts and is encompassed by seven snow-capped mountains. There is also a lake of snow here, fed by the great glaciers of Hathi Parvat and Saptrishi. The Himganga flows out of this lake.

The destination is most famous for the Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara, said to be located at the very spot where, the tenth guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh had meditated in one of his previous lives and had become one with God. This place, was later discovered by a Sikh soldier, and was thus designated as a place for worship by the Sikh religion.  

This is also the spot for the famous Lakshman Temple, where Lord Ram's younger brother is said to have prayed for atonement. Thus the river flowing here is called the Lakshman Ganga.

Hemkund is the starting point to the breathtakingly beautiful and well-known Valley of Flowers, 3 km away from Ghangaria. Located at an elevation of 3000-4000 mts, 10 km long and 2 km wide, this spectacular valley was discovered by mountaineer Frank Smythe. Today, the Valley is a World Heritage site and a national park housing as many as 500 species of wild flowers.

While here you could visit a beautiful emerald coloured lake called Kagbhusandi Tal which is at an altitude of 5,230 mts, and is reachable from the Bhyundar village, near Gangharia. 

On your way to Hemkund, you could halt at Joshimath, also called the town of temples. The main temples to visit here are Narsingh and Garuda temple, the Shankracharya Math and Amar Kalp tree.

Auli, the famous ski resort is 16km from Joshimath and could be included in your itinerary.

Tourism Info:

Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board

3/3 Industrial Area, Patelnagar

Dehradun- 248 001

Ph:   91-135-2624147, 2721289

Hemkund falls in the scenic Chamoli district of Uttarakhand and is famous for its trekking routes, views of snow-capped mountains and various pilgrimage points. It is said to be the meeting point of spirituality, adventure and natural beauty and is also an important centre for two different religions - Sikhism and Hinduism.