Hemakund- Sahib
The high altitude Lokpal lake, known as Hemkund ( 4329 mts.) lies in
heavenly
environs. A steep trek from Ghangharia leads one to this
spot in about four to six hours. It is an important pilgrimage for
both Hindus and Sikhs, as well as for people from other faiths.
There is a Sikh Gurudwara and a Lakshman temple built on the bank of
the lake. Encircled by seven snow clad peaks and their associated
glaciers, it reflects its surroundings enchantingly on its crystal
clear serene waters. The glaciers from Hathi Parvat and Saptrishi
peaks feed the lake and a small stream called Himganga flows out of
this lake.
As alluded to, in the holy Granth Sahib, Guru Govind Singh, the
tenth Guru of the Sikh faith had meditated on the bank of this lake
in one of his earlier births. 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).
The five K's' date from this period: kesh (uncut hair) kangha
(comb), kirpan (dagger or short sword), kara (steel bangle), and
kachh (boxer shorts). The most important is the uncut hair, adopted
before the other four. The comb is sometime designated specially as
wooden. The dagger and the shorts reflect military influence, while
the bangle may be a from of charm.
It is believed that 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 centre only
after 1930.
