Mussoorie, May 23 -- The portals of Hemkund Sahib in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district opened on Saturday, commencing the annual Hemkund Sahib Yatra, as devotees chanted 'Jo Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal' at the Himalayan shrine.

The ceremonial Shobha Yatra carrying the holy Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, led by the Panj Pyaras, reached the shrine from the Govindghat base camp at 9am with religious fervour and traditional reverence.

As part of Sikh traditions, the head granthi carried the holy scripture on his head while devotees accompanied the procession singing kirtans. The Indian Army band also played devotional and martial tunes during the march

Army personnel, who earlier undertaken snow-clearing operations along the pilgrimage route, were...