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About Valley of Flowers National
Park
The world famous Valley of Flowers is situated in the upper
expansions of Bhyundar Ganga in the far int erior
of Garhwal Himalayas. The valley is spread over an area of 87.5 Sq.
Kms. and is 3,250 mts. to 6,750 mts. above sea level. Rich references
have been made about this colouful and eye catching valley in the
records of Indian History and epic literature such as the Ramayana and
Mahabharat. Legend associate with this valley with the area from where
Hanumanji of Ramyana collected 'Sanjeevani" herb to revive Lakshman.
Trek Towards The Valley
The trek towards the Valley of Flowers National Park starts
from the roadhead at Govindghat, it is a long 14 kms trek to Ghangria.
Since only day visits are allowed to the Valley, Ghangria serves as
the base and it is usually filled with people. The trek takes a good
six to seven hours and many find the going tough. The scenery is
however delightful with alpine forests all around and the Bhyundar
Ganga roaring past you, especially if you visit in the rainy season
when the river has maximum water.
After crossing the tollgate near Ghangria, one finally starts on the
delightful walk towards the valley. Since a relatively lesser number
of people visit the Valley, and horses are not allowed in any more,
the trek is more peaceful and enjoyable. The approach to the main
valley leads through lovely dense forests of oak, spruce and silver
birch.
The Valley of Flowers itself, is a classic U-shaped valley - a
work of the Tipra-Kharak glacier. Over millions of years, glaciers
have advanced and receded many times. Today's Himalayan glaciers are
only a pale shadow of their former selves as they have been receding
ever since the last Himalayan Ice Age. However, the rich morainic soil
left by the glaciers proved to be ideal and numerous varieties of
alpine flowers took bloom. |
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The Immense Flora :
Below the forest is the meadow. River Pushpavati flows through the
valley and there are many waterfalls enhancing the beauty of the
valley. The splendour and the scintillating beauty of the valley
attracts tourists from all over the world.
The bloom starts immediately after the melting of snow but the peak
blooming period is from mid July to mid of August. Almost 300 species
of wild flowers bloom here in natural way. Wherein some of the species
are Anemone, Geranium, Marsh Marigold, Prinula, Potentilla, Geum,
Asters, Lilium, Ranunculus, Corydalis, Inula, Braham Kamal, Campanula,
Pedicularis, Arisaema, Morina, Impatiens, Bistorta, Ligularia,
Anaphalis, Saxifrages, Sibbaldia, Thermopsis, Trollius, Codonopsis,
Dactylorhiza, Cypripedium, Strawberry, Epilobium, Rhododendrons and
numerous others. Most of the flowers have medicinal values too. The
abundance of Asmanda fern in this valley is a rare sight than in other
Himalayan valleys.
The valley remains is bloom for three months while the looral
composition keeps on changing every few days. By September the hue
starts changing and autumn bids farewell to flowers and the entire
vegetation remains dormant for about next five months when the valley
is snow bound. Apart from the flowers some species of Butterfly, Musk
Deer, Blue sheep (Bharal), Himalayan Bear, Himalayan Mouse Hare and
some Himalayan birds & Snow Leopard are also found in this area. Due
to these specialties it has always caught the attention of the nature
lovers as well as the environmentalists. To conserve the nature's
benevolent gift and to maintain the natural balance of the valley-the
valley was declared a National Park in 1982 |
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Vi siting
Season:
The rainy season - in August and September - is the best time to visit
the valley, if you want to witness the around 300 varieties of alpine
flowers bloom and turn the valley into a flower paradise.
Access:
Air: The nearest airport is Jolly Grant, Dehradun, 319-kms.
Rail: The nearest railhead is at Rishikesh, 302-kms.
Road: The valley is approachable from Govindghat. There are two
ways to reach Govindghat.
* Rishikesh-Srinagar-Karnprayag-Joshimath-Govindghat-(Distance approx.
270 Kms. On Haridwar-Badrinath highway)
* Haldwani-Ranikhet-Karnprayag-Joshimath-Govindghat (Distance approx.
332 Kms.) After crossing the Alaknanda river at Govindghat, an
ascending bridle path along Bhyundar Ganga leads to Ghangharia which
is 13 kms. Away from Govindghat, from where the Valley is only 3 kms.
Accommodation & Facilities:
Uttranchal Govt. Tourist Rest House, Gangharia as well as Forest Rest
Houses at Govindghat and Gangharia are the accommodation options
available for tourists visiting the valley. There's also a Gurudwara
at Ghangharia with lodging facilities. Dining facilities are also
available at Ghangaria |
