With the ceremonial opening of the portals of Gurudwara Hemkund Sahib for the annual pilgrimage, the first batch of devotees reached the revered Himalayan shrine in Uttarakhand on Saturday.More than 6,500 devotees paid obeisance at the shrine on the opening day despite recent snowfall in the region, reflecting strong enthusiasm among pilgrims who undertook the challenging journey to the Himalayan gurdwara.The ceremonial opening began under the leadership of the Panj Pyare as the head granthi carried the sacred Saroop of Sri Guru Granth Sahib from the sukhasan asthan to the sanctum for prakash. Devotional hymns were played by the Indian Army band while devotees continuously showered flower petals during the religious procession.Devotees performed the recitation of Sukhmani Sahib and offered the first ardas of the pilgrimage season this morning. Renowned ragi jathas later performed Gurbani kirtan at the shrine.On the occasion, Gurudwara Sri Hemkund Sahib Management Trust president Narinderjit Singh Bindra and CEO of Trust Seva Singh honoured Army personnel involved in annual snow-clearing operations and pilgrimage support arrangements.Narinderjit Singh Bindra expressed gratitude to the Indian Army for ensuring the smooth conduct of the yatra and clearing snow from the difficult mountain routes every year. He praised the dedication of soldiers and officers deployed in the region. He appealed to devotees to maintain the sanctity of the shrine by refraining from photography and videography inside the gurdwara premises.He also urged pilgrims to undertake the yatra with devotion and discipline. The chairman informed the devotees about a newly established inn and langar facility at Ratura on the route from Rishikesh to Gobind Ghat, stating that the additional accommodation facility would help manage the growing influx of pilgrims and ease pressure at Gobind Ghat and Gobind Dham.CEO Seva Singh welcomed devotees arriving from India and abroad and briefed them about the historical and spiritual significance of Hemkund Sahib. He also appealed to pilgrims to remain cautious and disciplined during the high-altitude journey.Earlier in the day, the first jatha of Sikh devotees, led by the Panj Pyare, left Gurudwara Gobind Dham and trekked six kilometres uphill to Sri Hemkund Sahib. The first batch of pilgrims had originally departed from Rishikesh on May 20 in a religious ceremony flagged off by Delhi Lieutenant Governor Tarunjit Singh Sandhu.The commencement of the Hemkund Sahib pilgrimage follows the recent opening of the Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand, which includes pilgrimages to Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri and Gangotri temples.