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About Govind Pashu Vihar
Wildlife Sanctuary
Govind Pashu Vihar came into existence as a wildlife sanctuary in the
year 1955 and is a part of Upper Tons Valley. Initially, the name of
the region was Tons, which was changed to Govind Pashu Vihar after
notification. The Government of Uttar Pradesh notified its intention
of constituting part of the sanctu ary
as Govind National Park with a core area of 472.08 sq km in 1991.
The region of Govind Pashu Vihar is also rich in its history and
legends. However, many of these are contradictory to similar legends
that are popular in other parts of the country. For instance, while
the Pandavas (the heroes of the Mahabharata) are considered the
righteous ones in other parts of India, people here are overawed by
the Kauravas (the wrongdoers) and worship them as gods.
The sanctuary forms the upper catchments of Tons River, which is the
most important tributary of river Yamuna in its upper reaches. The
area houses many endangered animals and its large area along with the
contiguous forests of the neighboring regions helps in maintaining
genetic diversity. The area is very rich in medicinal plants, many of
which form the bases for certain life saving drugs. The scenic beauty
of the area is unmatched.
LOCATION: Govind National Park
and Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Uttarkashi district of the
newly formed Indian state of Uttaranchal. Situated in the higher
reaches of Garhwal Himalayas, the park is bound in the north by
Himachal Pradesh, to the east by a chain of mountain peaks, and to the
south by the Tons/Yamuna watershed. The park extends from latitude
35º55'-31º17'30'' in the North and longitude 77º47'30''-78º37'30'' in
the East.
CLIMATE: The sanctuary
experiences monsoon rain during July and August. It remains snowbound
for around three to four months in winter followed by heavy snowfall
in December. The best time to visit the sanctuary is from May to
October when the roads are open, though temperature remains as unp redictable
as ever.
FLORA AND FAUNA
Flora: Major floral species found in the sanctuary are chir
pine (Pinus roxburghii), cedar (Cedrus deodara), oak (Quercus spp.)
and other broad-leaved species. Going above 2,600 m above sea level,
one can find blue pine (Pinus wallichiana), silver fir (Abies pindrow),
spruce (Picea smithiana), yew (Taxus baccata), and broad-leaved
species such as oaks (Quercus spp.), maples (Acer spp.), walnut (Juglans
regia), horse chestnut (Aesculus indica), hazel (Coryllus jacquemontii)
and rhododendron (Rhododendron spp.).
Fauna: The park is also the natural habitat of several
varieties of fauna including red panda, sambhar, musk deer, brown
bear, bharal, serow, snow leopard, Indian porcupine, common otter,
barking, deer, goral, Himalayan palm civet, hedgehog, Sikkim vole,
Himalayan rat, Hodgson's fly squirrel, and wild boar.
PLACES TO VISIT
At Naitwar, there is a temple dedicated to Karna, the first-born of
Kunti from the Sun God but was abandoned at birth by his mother. Karna
later becomes an ally of the Kauravas. One will have to climb around
2.5 km to reach the small village of Sarnaul to reach this temple.
The people in this valley worship two other gods. One of them is Pokhu,
whose temple is at the confluence of the Rupin and Supin Rivers, which
meet at Naitwar to form the Tons. Pokhu Devta's temple is very similar
to the temple of Karna in shape, but the inside of the temple bears a
depressing look. The sacrificial altar has splashes of dried blood on
it. In the inner chamber, a Shivling is installed. Pokhu's chamber is
behind the Shivling. Pokhu was a deputy of Karna and an attendant of
Lord Shiva. He is said to be unrelenting in punishing his erring
followers. Therefore, the incidence of theft in this valley is unheard
of. The god is not shown to anyone, as his image will create terror.
It is for this reason that even the priest, while worshipping him,
stands with his back towards him.
Another God worshipped by the villagers is Mahasu, whose temple is in
Anol. God Mahasu is said to have been invited to this valley from
Kashmir to kill the demon Kirbir and to rid the people of his terror.
Thirteen kilometers from Sankri, in Jakhol, is the biggest temple
dedicated to Duryodhana, the eldest of the Kauravas. Many more temples
are to be found in Osla, Gangar, and Datmir. It is said that the
people of this valley had allied themselves with the Kauravas in the
battle of Mahabharata, and in due course, they accepted them as gods
and raised imposing temples of Duryodhana and Karna. Later on, it
seems they began to respect the Pandavas and started to worship them
in the temples. During Shankaracharya's times, Shiva Puja (worship of
Lord Shiva) became popular in this valley and Shivlings were installed
in these temples.
Another temple of Karna is situated in Deora. It is a rectangular
wooden structure with pent roofs lined with slates. On the roof is a
wooden umbrella topped with brass finial. The wood beams and columns
in front are decorated with carvings of exquisite charm while the
temple doors are decorated with relief metal plates, which depict
birds, animals, reptiles and scenes from the Ramayana. The villagers
have nailed on coins wherever space permitted in thanksgiving for
their wishes having been fulfilled. In the compound on the right stand
six miniature temples, which represent Karna and the five Pandavas.
After all, they were Karna's brothers. There is also a Shivling, a
sculpture of Parvati and a Nandi Bull in the compound.
ACTIVITIES
The park region gives one of the best options for the trekking
enthusiasts in Garhwal Himalayas, a regi on
still untouched by the hustle and bustle of the big city and full of
solitude. Some of these trekking routes are already quite famous.
Sankri-Taluka-Osla-Har-ki-dun (38 km)
Sankri-Taluka-Osla-Ruinsara Tal (40 km)
Naitwar-Himri-Droni-Rupin Pass-Sangla (60 km). This trek is regarded
as difficult.
Ruinsara Tal-Yamunotri (20 km; high-altitude difficult trek)
REACHING THERE
Naitwar, the entrance to the sanctuary, is connected by a metalled
all-weather road. It is at a distance of 200 km from Dehradun. It can
also be approached from Delhi by taking a 65-km long bifurcation from
Naugaon situated on the Delhi-Yamunotri state highway. Daily bus
service exists between Dehradun and Naitwar. Dehradun is also the
nearest rail and airhead to reach this park.
STAYING THERE
Forest rest houses are available at Naitwar, Taluka, Osla, Har-ki-dun,
Istragad, Satta, and Jakhol at nominal charges. Catering facility is
not available at any of these places though facility for self-cooking
is there. Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam has two tourist rest houses at
Taluka and Osla where catering facilities are available |
