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Best time to visit : Mid July to mid August
Hemkund ( Lake of gold), is situated nearly 29 kms from Joshimath via Govindghat, is set in one of the famous beauty spots of the central Himalayas and has a lake of crystal clear water located in beautiful surrounding. The reflection of surrounding snow- clad peaks in its placid waters offers a scenic sight. The glaciers from Hathi Parvat and Saptrishi peaks feed the lake and a small stream called Himganga flows out of this lake. There is a Sikh Gurudwara and a Lakshman temple built on the bank of the lake.
It is believed that Guru Govind Singh , the 10th Guru of the Sikh faith had meditated on the bank of this lake in one of his earlier births, as alluded to in the holly Granth sahib. It is widely believed among Sikhs that Guru Govind Singh introduced the features now universally associated with Sikhism. On 15th April 1699, he started the new brotherhood called the Khalsa (meaning the pure, from the Persian word 'Khales') an inner core of the faithful, accepted by baptism (amrit).
It is believed Lakshmana was brought here after he fell unconscious in the war with Ravana. Lakshman, the younger brother of Ram, meditated by the lake and regained his health after being severely wounded by Meghnath, son of the demon Ravana, during battle. Despite its ancient connections, Hemkund/Lokpal was discovered by a Sikh Havaldar, Solan Singh and became a major pilgrimage center only after 1930.
The waters of Lakshman Ganga (Hem Ganga) coming from Hernkund, in many moods is a source of constant delight to the trekker. Ghangaria is approachable on foot from Govind Ghat which is connected by road with Rishikesh, Kotdwar, Dehradun, Haridwar, Nainital, Ranikhet & other important hill centers of Uttaranchal. Excursions can be taken from Hernkund Sahib to Valley of Flowers, Kedarnath, Badrinath, Chamoli, Joshimath, Nandprayag, Karnaprayag, Rudraprayag, Srinagar, Deoprayag & Auli.
