Teerath..as a place of pilgrimage..as in Hinduism, Islam, Christianity..is a NO NO in Gurmatt and Gurbani. Our TEERATH is the GUR-SHABAD...Shabad GURU....Guru Granth Ji.
In a way we are very lucky that instead of having to go the Teeraths like the Hindus who have 68 Important Teeraths, or Mecca for Islam and places like Lourdes for Catholics....we have GURU GRANTH JI...in Each and every Gurdawra/School/College/Home even..all around the World..easily available to every one at minimal cost and conveneince.
The concept of Teerath..to cleanse one's SINS /paaps by bathing, washing, penance etc is NOT ACCEPTABLE in Gurmatt and CONDEMNED in GURBANI.
Historical Gurdawras are a plenty...as our TEN GURU SAHIBAANS lived and travelled widely all over Indiian Sub Continent and far and wide...in FACT FOUR out of the FIVE TAKHATS are attached to GURU GOBIND SINGH JI....Takhat Patna due to Guur Ji's Birth place, Takhat Keshgarh Anandpur due to vasakhi 1699, Takhat Damdama due to Guur Granth Ji being re-written prior to being bestowed Gurgadhi as Shabad Guru, and Takhat hazoor Sahib as the Takhat where GURU GRANTH Ji was bestowed GURUSHIP and the gurgadhi of DEHDHAREE Gurus put to an end in 1708....BUT HEMKUNT doesnt fall into this category. Since the past 50 years or so since its "discovery"..Hemkunt has received an "promotion" through YATRAS in out of proportion to its importance in Sikh history ( which it has NONE). ALL other Sikh Gurdawras had the LIVING GURU visit it at one time or other or were established by the GURUS...Nankana Sahib Birth place of Guru nanak Ji, Panja Sahib established to cvommemorate a visit by Guru nanak Ji, Harimandir Sahib Amrtisar established by Guru Arjun Ji etc etc..but Hemkunt dosnt have any of this..NO LIVING GURU ever visited it or was associated with hemkunt.
In fact, a typical "YATRA VIDEO" of Hemkunt is remarkeably similar to a Yatra video of Mata Sherran valli.... a teerath of the Hindus remarkeably SIMILAR to hemkunt in more ways than one.... a Extremely Difficult path high up in the MOUNTAINS, people struggling along in the FREEZING COLD weather...which ties in perfectly with the HINDU practise of giving SREERAK KASHAT....BODY PAIN /Physical struggle/physical bathing etc to GAIN MERIT with GOD....but this PRACTISE is severly Condemned in Gurmatt as totally unnecessary..GOD of SIKHE is NOT impressed with FASTING, climbing up difficult mountain paths, struggling in cold freezing weather, crawling up mandir steps on knees with BLEEDING KNEES. banging your head on each step as you climb higher, etc etc..and many other astetic practises of piercing the body with spears, swords, standing upon one leg for long periods, being buried in the sand etc etc.
Yatras to Histroical Gurdwaras...even Hemkunt ( when it has no such history) just to get in touch with our History is FINE...BUT to go on one to Cleanse your sins, wash your paaps, get spiritual benefit from torturing your body etc etc is CONDEMNED very strongly in GURBANI at many places....THAT can only be done through SIMRAN-NAAM JAAPNA.......bathing just washes the outer body...and suffering climbing up difficult mountain paaths, bleeding knees etc serve to increase the haumaii only ( THAT look that says.... I "SUFFERED" so much to "SEE my GURU"..i refused to sit on a horse but walked barefoot..etc etc.. Gurbani says: GOD is NOT IMPRESSED !!!)
Jarnail Singh