I visited the Valley of Flowers in the 2nd week of August 2008 along with my three collegue. It is located in West Himalaya, in the state of Uttarakhand and is known for its meadows of endemic alpine flowers and the variety of flora. This richly diverse area is also home to rare and endangered animals, including the Asiatic black bear, snow leopard, musk deer, brown bear, red fox, and blue sheep. Birds found in the valley include Himalayan Monal Pheasant and other high altitude birds. At 3352 to 3658 meters above sea level, the gentle landscape of the Valley of Flowers National Park complements the rugged mountain wilderness of Nanda Devi National Park to the east. Together, they encompass a unique transition zone between the mountain ranges of the Zanskar and Great Himalaya. The valley stretches over an expanse of 87.50 km². It is a high-altitude Himalayan valley that has long been acknowledged by renowned mountaineers, botanists, and in literature. It has been recognized internationally for over a century and is referenced in the Hindu religion. Local people have visited the valley since ancient times. Indian yogis are known to have visited the valley for meditation. The Valley of Flowers has many different colourful flowers, taking on various shades of colours as time progressed. The valley was declared a national park in 1982 and now it is a World Heritage Site since 2004. Getting to the Valley of Flowers requires a trek of about 17 km. Govindghat is a small place close to Joshimath (around one hour distance), where the trek begins. From Gobindghat, a trek of 14 km brings trekkers to the Ghangaria, a small settlement located about 3 km from the valley. The trek from Gobindghat to Ghangaria is common to the Sikh Temple at Hemkund and a trekker is likely to find many Sikh pilgrims on the route. As one nears Ghangaria one is greeted by fields of perfumed wild flowers, wild rose bushes and wild strawberries by the sides of the path. The visitors to Valley of Flowers need to get a permit from Forest Department, at Ghangaria and the permit is valid for three days and visiting and trekking is allowed only during day time. As visitors are not allowed to stay inside the National park, accommodation can be obtained at Gangaria. Best time to visit is from 2nd week of July to the 2nd week of August, when the valley is full of flowers. Pushpawati River rushing out of the valley of flowers We walk out of Ghangria, from the side opposite to the one from which we entered. We cross a bridge across Lakshman Ganga, which we see falling down from the rocky mountain far away. After the bridge, the path bifurcates - the right one goes to Hemkund, and the left one leads to the Valley of Flowers. We cross the checkpost after entering our names in the register, and paying a nominal fee of Rs.50/- for each one. The path goes down, and there is an iron bridge over Pushpawati River which hurtles down with great fury, and meets Lakshman Ganga at Ghangria. Exotic flowers start right from here. Blue poppies are here on the rocks beside the bridge. Climbing up from the bridge, the path is narrow and the river is way down below, with rocky slopes on both sides. After a 3 km uphill walk, we enter the valley, which is marked by crossing a woodden bridge, with map of valley put up next to it. The vast expanse of the valley is beautiful, and there are meadows of flowers as if somebody is maintaining a huge flower farm. Big stretches of Himalayan Balsam, which is the most predominant flower of the valley.Another flower which is present in large number is the Himalayan Hogweed. Then there is another alluring plant, which is touted as the most beautiful one in the valley, the Himalayan Whorlflower. It adds charm to the Valley of Flowers, and grows in abundance. Bears tiered whorls of fragrant white flowers that turn pale pink and then rosy red with time. Uneven ground covered with grass and rocks - small red berries spread over rocks in one place, small white flowers dot the whole expanse; small asters, with blue daisy-like flowers heads are seen every so often. Clouds decend without warning and it starts drizzling. ter a while, we lay down in the grass, chat and admire the green expanse of the Valley, the huge mountains on either side, and the snow peaks at the end of the Valley. The sun is going down, and we have to start our journey back to Ghangria before it gets dark. Flowers mostly orchids, poppies, primulas, marigold, daisies and anemones carpet the ground. Sub-alpine forests of birch and rhododendron cover parts of the parks area. A decade long study of Prof. C.P. Kala from 1993 onwards concludes that the Valley of Flowers endows with 520 species of higher plants (angiosperms, gymnosperms and pteridophytes), of these 498 are flowering plants. The park has many species of medicinal plants including Dactylorhiza hatagirea, Picrorhiza kurrooa, Aconitum violaceum, Polygonatum multiflorum, Fritillaria roylei and Podophyllum hexandrum.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Mar 2014 08:32:41 +0000
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