The annual closing ceremony of Sri Hemkund Sahib was held with religious fervour and devotion on Saturday, marking the end of this year’s pilgrimage season.After receiving a “hukamnama (divine command)”, the Guru Granth Sahib was ceremoniously escorted from the Diwan Hall to Sachkhand Sahib under the leadership of the Panj Pyaras and with full religious honours. With this, the portals of the shrine were ceremonially closed.The ceremony commenced with the recitation of Sukhmani Sahib, followed by devotional kirtan by Bhai Gurdial Singh and his jatha, the Hazoori Ragis from Sri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar.Narinderjit Singh Bindra, chairman of the Gurdwara Sri Hemkund Sahib Management Trust, said around 3.84 lakh devotees from across the world visited the shrine this year.A special highlight of the ceremony was the presence of a 40-member pilgrims’ group from Pakistan under a special arrangement made by the Union Home Ministry.Despite light snowfall that began a day earlier, devotees braved the challenging weather conditions. Around 5,000 pilgrims gathered at Hemkund Sahib to offer prayers on the final day of the pilgrimage season. The annual pilgrimage, which began on May 23, will now resume in summer 2027.Trust chief executive officer Sewa Singh thanked devotees, the Army, the state government and the district administration for their contributions towards the successful conduct of this year’s yatra.He appreciated the efforts of the police and the State Disaster Response Force for ensuring the safety and smooth management of pilgrims. He also expressed gratitude to the sewadars and staff serving at various gurdwaras along the route, noting that their dedication and hard work played a crucial role in the successful completion of the yatra.