Paonta and Hemkund: Sites close to the heart of the tenth Sikh Guru

Only last year, the 350th Prakash Parv of Guru Gobind Singh was celebrated the world over. During this time of the year when the shrines dedicated to him in and around Uttarkhand are receiving pilgrims from all parts of the country and the world, it would be a fitting tribute to him to remember the deep connection his life, in his birth as Gobind Singh and in an earlier birth, which he had with this hill region.

These two sites are that of Paonta Sahib and Hemkund Sahib, the first close to Uttarakhand and the second within it. Paunta is in Himachal Pradesh, located just across the Uttarakhand-Himachal Pradesh border.

It is a religious and cultural meeting point for people of both hill States.

During the Hemkund Sahib Yatra every year, pilgrims, mostly from Punjab, Delhi and Haryana, visit Paonta either before going up to Hemkund or on their way back from Hemkund.

The Guru’s association with these two places brings to mind many interesting facts. Paonta Sahib, on the banks of Yamuna, is dedicated to the tenth Sikh guru, Gobind Sigh, who spent five years here. It is a now amid a bustling town. It retains tangible memories of Guru Gobind Singh in the form of his weapons and his wooden "kalams"(pens).The Gurudwara has been built on the spot where Guru Gobind Singh dismounted from his horse after arriving at Paonta.

After arriving in the erstwhile Nahan State in 1685 from Anandpur Shaib on the invitation of Raja Medni Prakash of Nahan, the Guru surveyed the area and when he set eyes on the place where the present Paonta township is located, he was fascinated by the landscape on the western bank of the Yamuna river and decided to settle there. He built a fort and a cantonment for his army and founded the city of Paonta which means “space for a foothold” (Stirrup). Soon, the city became a centre of literary and cultural activity.

It is an interesting fact that before this happened, Guru Ram Rai had already set up his “Dera” on the eastern side of the Yamuna in Doon. He had been removed from the line of Sikh Gurus as he had performed miracles in the court of Aurangzeb (A thing prohibited by the religion). Aurangzeb and his friend Fateh Shah of Tehri then set up Ram Rai in the valley which came to be known “Dera Doon” (camp in the valley” and subsequently, Dehra Dun. Paonta is just fifty kilometers away from Doon. Ram Rai sent several messages to Gobind Singh and expressed his desire to have a glimpse of him. The Guru conceded his request and came personally to receive him in midstream Yamuna and embraced the aged Ram Rai. It was here that Guru Gobind Singh composed most of his poetic works. Fifty two poets adorned his “Kavi Darbar” which can be seen even today at Paonta. The Guru held many a poetic symposium at this place. Historians recorded that the Guru also set up an armoury at Paonta.

Hemkund lake near the Gurudwara is encircled by seven snow clad peaks and reflects them beautifully 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.

Guru Gobind Singh wrote in one of his works that he had meditated on the bank of this lake in one of his earlier births. The site was discovered by a Sikh Havaldar, Sohan Singh and became a major pilgrimage centre only after 1930.

Hemkund lake near the Hemkund shrine is encircled by seven snow clad peaks and reflects them beautifully on its crystal-clear serene waters. Guru Gobind Singh wrote in one of his works that he had meditated on the bank of this lake in one of his earlier births. The story is recounted in Bachitar Natak, which roughly translated means ‘Amazing’ ‘Beatific’ or ‘Unique’ Drama - an autobiography attributed to Guru Gobind Singh himself and included in the Dasam Granth.

The site was discovered by Sohan Singh and became a major pilgrimage centre only after 1930. It is also believed that Lakshman meditated by this lake and regained health after being wounded by Meghnath, son of Ravana. The  Lakshmana  Temple, which is also in the same premises as Hemkund, also reopens for worship on June 1 with the traditional Pooja-Archana. Mid-August is the peak time of the Hemkund Sahib yatra.

Hemkund  Sahib and the Lakshman temple  share the credit of being the World’s Highest Gurudwara and temple respectively, situated as they are at an altitude of 4329 metres. No wonder the Hemkund Yatra is one of the most important events in the tourism calendar ofUttarakhand.