By the end of May every year, pilgrims heading towards the scenic Hemkund Sahib Gurdwara in the Garhwal Himalayas arrive in the Doon valley to move upwards from Rishikesh for the annual yatra which begins on the first day of June every year and goes on up to early October. An important aspect of this challenging pilgrimage is that it physically and emotionally links Uttarakhand with its neighbour, Himachal Pradesh where Paonta Sahib.