The
world famous Valley of Flowers is
situated in the upper expansions of Bhyundar
Ganga in the far interior 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. The valley forms one of
India's most unusual protected areas.
Declared a National Park in 1982
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.
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.
Visiting Season:
The rainy season - in August and September
- is the best time to visit the valley,
if you want to witnessaround 300 varieties
of alpine flowers bloom and turn the valley
into a flower paradise.
How to reach Valley of Flowers
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.
