On March 5, a landslide near Govindghat in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand damaged a 110m long bridge leading to the holy Gurudwara Hemkunt Sahib. According to the District Disaster Management Office, the incident has led to the death of a 34-year-old man from Bihar who was passing by when the landslide occurred.
“We, along with the Public Works Department (PWD) are working towards reconstructing the bridge before the 21-km-long Gurudwara Hemkunt Sahib pilgrimage begins on May 25 this year,” said Chamoli District Magistrate Dr. Sandeep Tiwari, in a conversation with Outlook Traveller.
Severing access to the Gurudwara Hemkunt Sahib just 2.5 months before the pilgrimage begins has come as a major challenge for local authorities and the government. The trek to the Valley of Flowers National Park also passes through this route, which now stands demolished. The national park is slated to open its doors to the visitors in June this year.
“We are also working towards setting up a temporary bridge for the people of the Pulna village that inhabits around 40-50 families,” Tiwari added. This temporary structure will connect them to Govindghat.
The District Disaster Management authorities have also urged the Chief Minister’s office to provide extra care for women who are pregnant and other individuals who are sick. They will be moved and admitted to the hospitals first, to prevent any mishaps due to the landslide-caused route disruption.
Tiwari also claimed that ration for the month of March has already been distributed in the Pulna village. “We, along with the government, are making concerted efforts to reduce the impact of the incident on the locals and also on the pilgrims who are soon to arrive in May,” said Tiwari.
The holy site of Gurudwara Hemkunt Sahib holds much significance for the Sikh community. The site also finds mention in the second most important text for the Sikhs, the "Dasam Granth." In a chapter called the "Bachittar Natak", the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, narrates the story of his past life and how he chose the site of the Gurudwara Hemkunt Sahib as his meditation spot. Over the years, this has encouraged Sikhs to trek to the gurdwara to seek blessings.
In the 21-km-long journey to the gurdwara, a night stop at 14 km is recommended. It is surrounded by seven mountain peaks and the Hemkunt lake.
In an exclusive conversation with Outlook Traveller, the manager at the Gurudwara Hemkunt Sahib Trust, Sewa Singh assured that the construction of the valley suspension bridge will be completed by the first week of May. “The government and the local authorities have assured us that the bridge will be constructed well within time to allow pilgrims to undertake the yatra,” Singh said. “We are hopeful that we will welcome our Sikh brothers and sisters with the same love this year too,” he added.
