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About Nanda Devi
National Park
In the vicinity of Nanda Devi (7817 m), the second highest peak in
India, is situated the Nanda Devi Na tional
Park, which has some of the most unique high altitude flora and fauna
in the world. The spectacular views, sylvan environment, and richness
of biosphere make it quite different from the other wildlife
sanctuaries of India. The park has been declared a World Heritage Site
by UNESCO and In its vicinity are the Valley of Flowers, Badrinath
Temple, and Hemkund Sahib.
Though the park was notified only in 1982, it has a long history. W.W.
Garden was the first person to reach this region in 1883, but his
expedition to the Nanda Devi Peak failed to create any impact. In
1936, Tilman and N.E. Odell scaled the Nanda Devi and opened its vista
for others to follow. This led to the region becoming a game sanctuary
in 1939. The area of the park remained undisturbed until 1950's when
organized expeditions for Nanda Devi started. To save the park from
these disturbances, the Government of India declared the region a
National Park in 1982 and later it was given the special status of a
Biosphere Reserve.
Location: The Nanda Devi
National Park is located in the Indian state of Uttaranchal in the
upper Himalayan ranges. A part of the Garhwal Himalayas, the park
extends from the latitude 30°24' in the North to the longitude 79°53'
in the East. The entry to the park is from Lata village around 23 km
from Joshimath. Mountain peaks surround it from all sides except the
west where it is bounded by an inaccessible gorge.
Best Time to Visit: Being in the
high altitudes, Nanda Devi National Park has a distinct climate. For
six months of the year, the region remains under a snow cover. For the
rest of the year, the region has a dry climate with heavy rainfall
from June to August. April to June are the months when the temperature
increases a bit and they are the months when one can visit this place.
TOURISTS ATTRACTIONS
Flo ra:
The forest cover in this park is mainly restricted to the Rishi
Gorge and the main vegetation is of fir, birch, rhododendron, and
juniper. In the inner sanctuary, conditions are drier and near the
Nanda Devi Glacier, there is almost no vegetation. From Ramani, the
vegetation changes to alpine and only juniper scrubs are the
dominating vegetation. The Juniper scrubs gradually give way to
grasses, prone mosses, and lichens. In total, 312 floral species have
been found here of which around 17 are considered rare.
Fauna: Animal population of species like bharal, Himalayan tahr,
serow, goral, snow leopard, Himalayan black bear, brown bear, leopard,
common langur, Himalayan musk deer, and brown beer dominate the park
area. Warblers, gresbreaks, rose finches, and ruby throat represent
avifauna here. Approximately 80 species have been spotted in this
park.
PLACES AROUND NANDA DEVI
NATIONAL PARK
Joshimath, at a distance of around 23 km from the Nanda Devi
National Park, is an important place in any expedition to the higher
altitudes of the Garhwal Himalayas. Badrinath, Valley of Flowers, and
Hemkund Sahib are all wonderful destinations in this region and all
can be approached from the Nanda Devi National Park. The Nanda Devi
peak is considered to be one of the toughest peaks to climb in the
world and a favorite destination of mountaineers from across the
globe.
HOW TO REACH
BY AIR - The nearest airport is at Jolly Grant at
Dehradun at a distance of around 295 km from the Nanda Devi National
Park. There are regular flights to Delhi from this airport.
BY RAIL - The nearest railhead is Rishikesh at a distance of
276 km. Rishikesh is approachable by a metalled road from Joshimath.
BY ROAD - Metalled roads are there till Joshimath from where
one has to trek to reach this place. The place is inaccessible for six
months of the year and it is only in summers that treks to this region
can be organised.
WHERE TO STAY
There is no tourist facility available in the park area. Joshimath has
some accommodation facilities including those made available by the
Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam.
We offer excellent accommodation facilities in and around Nanda Devi
National Park |
