By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Dehradun, 22 May: Uttarakhand Governor Lt General Gurmit Singh (Retd) and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami flagged off the first batch of pilgrims for the Shri Hemkund Sahib Yatra from Rishikesh on Thursday, led by the Panj Pyare. Both leaders extended their best wishes to the pilgrims for a safe and smooth journey.
The Governor remarked that the Hemkund Sahib Yatra is a symbol of deep faith and devotion. Located at an altitude of 15,000 feet, the pilgrimage involves an 18-kilometre arduous trek, testing every devotee’s patience, courage, and spiritual resolve. Remembering the contributions of the Sikh Gurus, the Governor emphasised that “self-respect, courage, sacrifice, hard work, and service” are core pillars of Sikh tradition. He invoked Guru Gobind Singh’s words — “With determination, I will be victorious” — urging devotees to draw inspiration from them.
He acknowledged the continuous efforts by the government to make the pilgrimage safer and more accessible. The Governor also praised the preparations made by the administration and the Gurdwara Management Committee. He urged all pilgrims to support a plastic-free pilgrimage and promote the ‘Vocal for Local’ campaign by prioritising local products.
He extended his gratitude to the management committee, sevadars, administrative staff, and security personnel involved in organising the Yatra, and conveyed his best wishes for its success.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami highlighted that the Hemkund Sahib Yatra beautifully reflects the religious, spiritual, and cultural spirit of Uttarakhand. Calling Hemkund Sahib a central place of reverence for the Sikh community, he said that the region continues to radiate divine energy. He added that despite difficult terrain and weather, thousands of pilgrims undertake this journey every year. So far, over 60,000 devotees have registered for Hemkund Sahib, and over 3 million for the Char Dham Yatra.
The Chief Minister shared that, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the state government is working to simplify and ease the pilgrimage. Infrastructure improvements include the construction of a valley bridge in Govindghat, with a permanent bridge soon to follow. Additional facilities like railings, signboards, medical camps, drinking water, and hot water have also been arranged along the route.
During the event, an upgraded version of the AI-powered chatbot “Eternal Guru” was demonstrated. Developed by Uttarakhand Technical University in collaboration with the Hemkund Sahib Management Trust, the chatbot is based on Gurbani and aims to spread the spiritual teachings of the Guru Granth Sahib through technology.
Hemkund Sahib Management Trust President Narendrajit Singh Bindra welcomed the guests and wished all pilgrims a successful and blessed journey.
Among the dignitaries present were Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Ritu Khanduri Bhushan, Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal, MLAs Premchand Aggarwal and Renu Bisht, President of Parmarth Niketan, Swami Chidanand Saraswati, President of Nirmal Ashram, Jot Singh, Head of Nirmal Akhada, Gyan Dev Maharaj, Vice Chancellor, Uttarakhand Technical University, Prof Omkar Singh, and Vice Chancellor of Sanskrit University, Haridwar, Prof Dinesh Chandra Shastri.
