The Road Less Taken - Hemkund Sahib

Around the middle of 2020, a friend of mine asked me to list 20 major life goals that I wish to achieve in the course of my entire life, I remember my 20th was, visiting the most beautiful Gurudwaras of India like Patthar Sahib Ji, Patna Sahib Ji, etc. Not even in my wildest dream had I imagined visiting the toughest and the highest Gurudwara in the world, Hemkund sahib ji ,within a year of writing that goal. It still feels like a far fetched dream. 2nd October 2021 will always remain one of the most memorable and special days of my life.

Hemkund Sahib -The Tapasthan of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, is said to be the highest Gurudwara in the world, situated at around 15000 ft above the sea level, in the Himalayan ranges in the state of Uttarakhand. The name 'Hemkund' means a 'Lake Of Snow' as the Gurudwara has a beautiful glacial lake, surrounded by 7 peaks. It truly is one of the most beautiful and miraculous places on the planet and even I can vouch for that now.

My journey actually began a week before we left for Dehradun ,when the weather forecasts showed rain in Hemkund Sahib on the day we were planning to visit and my parents started contemplating the entire trip due to the slippery terrain we (especially I) would have to climb on ponies. I was really upset at the mere thought of cancellation of the trip and somehow managed to convince them that I would be alright. I was rather convincing myself mentally that I can do it and I have to do it.

The most peaceful sight  to the eyes

On 1st October we left for Dehradun by car and stayed the night there itself. Our plan was to board the chopper early in the morning the next day, till Ghangariya and then, start the 7 km trek to the Gurudwara from there onwards. After a 4 hours long delay, due to the bad weather conditions, our helicopter finally flew from the UCADA, Sahastradhara Helidrome. This was the beginning of a lot of my "Firsts". My First helicopter experience..Even though I am not someone who gets scared during flight take offs and landings, but the first minute when the helicopter took off, I won't lie, I was damn scared. I could not fathom how a 7 seater chopper was up in the air, cutting through the clouds and moving in between the cliffs. It took me 15-20 mins to get comfortable and feel safe. After a 50 minutes long journey we reached the Ghangariya Helipad and started with the trek on ponies, immediately. Like any other trek,yes, it tests your physical and mental strength; of course there isn't any smooth path or facilities/washrooms throughout the way and the icing on the cake being that it kept on drizzling the whole time and even though we were wearing raincoats, the weather kept getting chilly but what made this different from all the other adventurous treks one takes was that we were not there to enjoy the scenic view (even though, honestly, the view was breathtaking.. we were literally above the clouds most of the times) or the mountains and the clouds. All we had with us was "Faith". It was our faith that kept us going; that made all the struggles seem worthwhile. A few moments before I was about to reach the Gurudwara, suddenly the clouds dispersed and I could see my destination faintly, I do not know how to put that feeling in words. I felt like I had achieved something very precious in life. When I reached the Gurudwara finally, I obviously had tears in my eyes because I was so overwhelmed by the feeling of making it till the top. I remember the first thought I had in my mind was " Bula hi liya aapne mujhe apne pass". I was someone who used to visit Gurudwaras regularly till the pandemic changed our lives completely. It has been 2 years that I have not visited any Gurudwara whatsoever and to directly visit Hemkund Sahib was like a blessing from Baba Ji himself. All I could do was thank him over and over again for giving me the strength to take this journey of a lifetime. Neither could I click a picture nor could I ask for anything. Shukrana is all I could do and feel.

The feeling of finally dipping my hands in the lake that I had only seen in beautiful photographs till now was surreal. "Grateful" is an understatement for being able to breathe in that air and to take in those vibes. Usually the kids take their parents for pilgrimage in their old age but I am certainly blessed with parents who take me for holy expeditions and never discourage my spiritual ambitions.

After the darshan and having our langar and tea we started our journey back towards the helipad and trust me when I say this, the entire way back, I had a smile lingering on my lips and eyes that were moist. It all might seem a bit too dramatic but I think a person who believes in the almighty; who has that faith in the unseen or who has pushed himself/herself ever in life, to do something which you thought you weren't even capable of doing, physically and mentally, would understand this feeling of accomplishment. I know I am proud of myself after a very long time and I wish to cherish this feeling for as long as I can without any malice or guilt. If you are a believer of that force which is unseen and wish to challenge yourself spiritually, I think this is one journey, you must take to feel one step closer to him.