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Uttarakhand: Hemkund Sahib portals closed for winter months
1,83,722 devotees visited Hemkund Sahib this year and 1,77,463 pilgrims visited the gurudwara last year
The portals of Hemkund Sahib shrine located in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district near Joshimath were closed for winter months on Thursday.
“The portals were closed amid special prayers, with a large number of pilgrims attending the ceremony. Over 2,800 pilgrims had arrived at the shrine on Thursday to offer prayers and receive the blessings”, NS Bindra, chairman Hemkunt Sahib Gurudwara Trust said.
“Over 2.62 lakh pilgrims have visited Hemkund Sahib this year. The portals of the shrine were opened on May 25 this year,” he said.
Also Read: Portals of Hemkund Sahib shrine to open on May 25
The Gurdwara Sri Hemkunt Sahib Management Trust manages the yatra in collaboration with the state and district administration.
Last year, over 2.4 lakh pilgrims visited the shrine.
In 2022, 2.47 lakh pilgrims visited Hemkund shrine, the highest in the recorded history of the yatra.
Over 10,000 pilgrims visited the shrine in 2021, compared to around 8,500 in 2020. In 2019, 2.40 lakh pilgrims visited the shrine.
The shrine is situated at a height of over 15,000 feet above sea level and has emerged as a popular centre of Sikh pilgrimage visited by lakhs of devotees from all over the world every summer.
Hemkund is inaccessible due to snow from October to April.
