Rishikesh, Sept. 25 -- Garhwal commissioner Anand Swarup on Thursday said Hemkunt Sahib has witnessed a record pilgrim rush this year, with around 3.40 lakh devotees already visiting the Sikh shrine, and the footfall is expected to rise further in the remaining 17 days of the pilgrimage.

Swarup said this year's footfall had already surpassed the previous annual record.

"Along with the Char Dham Yatra, the Hemkunt Sahib Yatra has been steadily increasing over the past few years. Last year, the highest number of pilgrims, 274,000, came and visited Hemkunt Sahib. This time, about a month-and-a-half was remaining in our pilgrimage season, yet 340,000 pilgrims have already had darshan at Hemkunt Sahib," Swarup said.

The shrine located in Ch...