SSC
The roof of Gurdwara Hemkund Sahib in Uttarakhand is shaped like an inverted:
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Answer: Option D — Lotus
Detailed Solution
Gurdwara Hemkund Sahib in Uttarakhand has a unique star-shaped (pentagonal) structure, with a roof shaped like an inverted lotus flower.
About Gurdwara Hemkund Sahib:
- It is located in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, at a height of about 4,630 metres (15,200 feet), on the shore of the glacial Hemkund lake, surrounded by seven snow-covered peaks (the "Hemkund Parbat").
- It is one of the highest gurdwaras in the world.
It is dedicated to Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru. According to his autobiographical composition "Bachittar Natak" (in the "Dasam Granth"), he had meditated here in a previous life.
The site was identified in the 1930s by Sant Sohan Singh, a retired Army havildar, and Havildar Modan Singh. A small gurdwara was built in 1937, and the present structure was completed in the 1960s-1990s with the help of the Indian Army engineers.
The gurdwara is made of concrete and stone, and its star shape and inverted-lotus roof make it stand out in the snowy landscape.
It is open only from about late May to October, because it is covered with snow for the rest of the year.
Pilgrims travel to Govindghat (near Joshimath) by road, and then walk or take mules for about 19 km via Ghangaria. A ropeway from Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib was approved in 2025.
There is also a Hindu temple dedicated to Lakshman (Lokpal Lakshman Temple) next to the lake; Lakshman is believed to have meditated here.
Nearby:
The Valley of Flowers National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies close to the route, beyond Ghangaria. It is famous for its alpine flowers, such as the blue poppy and the Brahma Kamal (the state flower of Uttarakhand).
Other important Sikh shrines in India:
- Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple), Amritsar: founded by Guru Arjan Dev; its foundation stone is said to have been laid by the Sufi saint Mian Mir.
- Takht Sri Patna Sahib (Bihar): birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh (1666).
- Takht Sri Hazur Sahib (Nanded, Maharashtra): where Guru Gobind Singh died (1708).
- Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib (Anandpur Sahib): where the Khalsa was founded in 1699.
- Gurdwara Bangla Sahib and Sis Ganj Sahib (Delhi).
- Gurdwara Manikaran Sahib (Himachal Pradesh): famous for its hot springs.
Why not the other options?
- ✗A dome is typical of mosques and tombs, and of many gurdwaras, but Hemkund Sahib's roof is an inverted lotus.
- ✗A bell shape is not used for its roof.
- ✗An umbrella shape is not used for its roof.
Quick tip
Remember: Hemkund Sahib = Chamoli, Uttarakhand (about 4,630 m; star-shaped, inverted-lotus roof; Guru Gobind Singh meditated in a past life; trek from Govindghat via Ghangaria; near the Valley of Flowers); Patna Sahib = birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh.
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Monuments & Religious Places — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Monuments & Religious Places, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.