| Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks* | |
|---|---|
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
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| State Party |  India |
| Type | Natural |
| Criteria | vii, x |
| Reference | 335 |
| Region** | Asia-Pacific |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 1988 (12th Session) |
| Extensions | 2005 |
| * Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. ** Region as classified by UNESCO. |
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Valley of Flowers National Park is an Indian national park, Nestled high in West Himalaya, is renowned for its meadows of endemic alpine flowers and outstanding natural beauty. This richly diverse area is also home to rare and endangered animals, including the Asiatic black bear, snow leopard, brown bear and blue sheep. The gentle landscape of the Valley of Flowers National Park complements the rugged mountain wilderness of Nanda Devi National Park. Together they encompass a unique transition zone between the mountain ranges of the Zanskar and Great Himalaya. The park stretches over an expanse of 87.50 km².
The Valley of Flowers is an outstandingly beautiful high-altitude Himalayan valley that has been acknowledged as such by renowned mountaineers and botanists in literature for over a century and in Hindu mythology for much longer. Its ‘gentle’ landscape, breathtakingly beautiful meadows of alpine flowers and ease of access complement the rugged, mountain wilderness for which the inner basin of Nanda Devi National Park is renowned.
Valley of flower is splashed with colour as it bloomed with hundreds different beautiful flowers, taking on various shades of colours as time progressed. Valley was declared a national park in 1982, and now it is a World Heritage Site. The locals, of course, always knew of the existence of the valley, and believed that it was inhabited by fairies.
While trekking towards valley of flowers, tourists can experience the beauty of shining peaks fully covered with snow. Tourists can also see the beautiful view of surrounding greenery and various running streams with crystal clear water.
The valley is home to many celebrated flowers like the Brahmakamal, the Blue Poppy and the Cobra Lily. It is a much sought after haunt for flower-lovers, botanists and of course trekkers, for whom a sufficient excuse to embark on a mission to reach a place, is that it exists.
The Valley of Flowers is internationally important on account of its diverse alpine flora, representative of the West Himalaya biogeographic zone. The rich diversity of species reflects the valley’s location within a transition zone between the Zaskar and Great Himalayas ranges to the north and south, respectively, and between the Eastern Himalaya and Western Himalaya flora. A number of plant species are internationally threatened, several have not been recorded from elsewhere in Uttarakhand and two have not been recorded in Nanda Devi National Park. The diversity of threatened species of medicinal plants is higher than has been recorded in other Indian Himalayan protected areas. The entire Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve lies within the Western Himalayas Endemic Bird Area (EBA). Seven restricted-range bird species are endemic to this part of the EBA.
The Valley of Flowers was declared a national park in 1982. This part of Uttarakhand, in the upper reaches of Garhwal, is inaccessible through much of the year. The area lies on the Zanskar range of the Himalayas with the highest point in the national park being Gauri Parbat at 6,719 m above sea level.
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History & Legends
Ramayan Legends says that this is the place where Hanuman searched for Sanjivani Booti to cure the Lakshmana,When he was injured by Indrajit(Meghnada),Son of Ravana.
The place had disappeared from the tourist map due to its inaccessible approach but in 1931 when Frank S. Smythe a British mountaineer lost his way while returning from a successful expedition to Mt.Kamet and he reached this valley which was full of flowers. He was so attracted towards the beauty of the place he named it as "Valley of Flowers".He authored a book called "The Valley of Flowers" which unveiled the beauty and floral splendours of the valley and thus threw open the doors of this verdant jewel to nature-enthusiasts all over the world.
In 1939 Miss Margaret Legge, a botanist deputed by the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh arrived at the valley for further studies. While she was traversing some rocky slopes to collect flowers, she slipped off and was lost for ever. Her sister later visited the valley and erected a memorial near the spot. The memorial is still there.
Management
There is no settlement in the national park and grazing in the area has been banned. The park is open only in summer between June and October, being covered by heavy snow during the rest of the year.
Location
State: Uttranchal
Exact Location: The Valley of Flowers is nestled in the upper expansions of Bhyundar Ganga near Joshimath in Gharwal region.
District: Chamoli
Nearest Town: Joshimath [1]
The Trek
Getting to the Valley of Flowers requires a trek of about 17 km. The nearest major town is Joshimath in Garhwal, which has convenient road connections from railheads such as Haridwar and Dehradun, both about 270 km from Joshimath.
From Joshimath, a vehicle can be hired to take you to within 17 km of the park, to the settlement of Gobindghat. The route from Joshimath to the Valley of Flowers goes along the main road to Badrinath; roughly midway along this road, a minor road branches off to Gobindghat, the roadhead for the Valley. From Gobindghat, a trek of 14 km brings hikers to the Ghangaria,A small settlement ,where Valley is about 3km .Valley Start from A gorge over Pushpawati River.
Fauna
The park is home to tahr, snow leopard, musk deer, red fox, common langur, bharal, serow, Himalayan black bear, Himalayan brown bear, Pica (Mouse hare) and a huge variety of butterflies. Among the important birds and Pheasant are, Himalayan Golden Eagle, Griffon Vulture, Snow Partridge, Himalayan Snowcock, Himalayan Monal, Snow Pigeon, Sparrow Hawk etc.
Flora
Flowers mostly orchids, poppies, primulas, calendulas, daisies and anemones carpet the ground. Alpine forests of birch and rhododendron cover parts of the park's area.
Other Attractions
Hemkund Saheb: A very popular trekking destination, Hemkund is a 19 km trek from Govindghat. The high altitude lake known as Hemkund (4329 m) is located here. The lake and its picturesque surroundings are an important pilgrim center for both Hindus and Sikhs. Close to the lake, the sacred Sikh Gurudwara and a Lakshman temple are located.
Joshimath: One of the popular pilgrim centres in Uttrakhand, Joshimath was established by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century. There are the temples of Nav Durga and Narsingh here. This scenic town is also the base for trekking to the Valley of Flowers.
Badrinath: Badrinath, one of the holy places for Hindus in India. It is the most sacred Dham in India. Badrinath is located in the Chamoli district of Uttranchal, at around 3133 mts high from the sea level. Badrinath temple is dedicated to Hindu god Vishnu. This temple is near to the Alaknanda River.
How to Reach
The nearest airport is in Jolly Grant,Dehradun, 295 kilometers (183 miles) away, and the nearest railway station is in Rishikesh, 276 kilometers (170 miles) away. The closest you can get to The Valley of Flowers by road is Govind Ghat. This requires around a 10 hour drive to Joshimath, then another one hour to Gobindghat. From Gobindghat it is a 13-kilometer (8 mile) trek along a steep, narrow, but well defined mountain trail to base camp at Ghangaria. This will take between 4 to 8 hours, depending on your fitness.Ghangaria has Hotels with Electricity and Mobile towers.From Ghangaria Another 3km Trek Leads to Valley.
Species
| No. | Name of Flowers | Time of flowering |
| 1. | Rhododendron arboreum | February-June |
| 2. | Primula denticuleta | April-July |
| 3. | Iris kemaonensis | June-July |
| 4. | Fritillaria roylei | June-July |
| 5. | Lilium oxypetalum | June-July |
| 6. | Arisaema costautum | June-July |
| 7. | Thermopsisa barbata | June-July |
| 8. | Rosa macrophylla | June-July |
| 9. | Caltha palustris | June-July |
| 10. | Fragaria nubicola | May-July |
| 11. | Saxifraga roylei | July-August |
| 12. | Anemone obtusiloba | June-August |
| 13. | Cypripedium himalaicum | June-August |
| 14. | Rheum australe | July-August |
| 15. | Phlomis oracteosa | June-August |
| 16. | Hackelia uncinata | June-August |
| 17. | Senecio jacquemotiamus | August-September |
| 18. | Ligularia amplexicaulis | July-August |
| 19. | Morina longifolia | July-September |
| 20. | Geum elatum | July-August |
| 21. | Geranium wallichianum | July-August |
| 22. | Impatiense sulcata | July-August |
| 23. | Meconopsis aculeata | July-August |
| 24. | Delphenium roylei | July-August |
| 25. | Aconitum hookeri | August-September |
| 26. | Thalictrum reniforme | July-September |
| 27. | Potentilla atrosanguinea | July-September |
| 28. | Sedum ewersii | August-September |
| 29. | Dactylorhiza hatagirea | June-July |
| 30. | Bistorta affinis | August-September |
| 31. | Stachys sericee | August-September |
| 32. | Nepeta connata | August-September |
| 33. | Pedicularis hoffmeistri | July-August |
| 34. | Swertia hookeri | August-September |
| 35. | Gentiana ornata | August-September |
| 36. | Gaultheria erichophy | August-September |
| 37. | Codonopsis affinis | August-September |
| 38. | Angelica cyelocarpa | July-September |
| 39. | Leontopodium jacotianum | July-September |
| 40. | Saussurea fastuosa | July-September |
| 41. | Campanula latitotia | August-September |
| 42. | Cyananthus lobotus | August-September |
| 43. | Sassurea obvallata | August-September |
| 44. | Cremanthodium ellisii | July-September |
| 45. | Anaphalis triplineruts | July-September |
| 46. | Inula grandiflora | August-September |
| 47. | Aster albescens | July-September |
| 48. | Selinium tenuifolium | August-September |
| 49. | Heracleum pinnatum | August-September |
| 50. | Epilobium latisperma | August-September |
| 51. | Silene setisperma | August-September |
| 52. | Arenaria griffithii | August-September |
| 53. | Corydalis junecea | August-September |
| 54. | Erigerono multiradiatus | August-September |
| 55. | Polygonum molle | August-September |
| 56. | Himalayan Blue Poppy | July-September |
| 57. | Codonopsis viridis | July-August |
| 58. | Origanus vulgare | July-August |
| 59. | Hackelia uncinata | July-August |
| 60. | Salvia hins/lanata | July-August |
| 61. | Smilacina purpurea/oleracea | June-July |
| 62. | Viola biflora | June-August |
| 63. | Rhodiola heterodonta | July-August |
| 64. | Epilohium latifolium | July-August |
| 65. | Cotoneaster integrifolius | July-August |
| 66. | Dubyaea hispida | August-September |
| 67. | Saussurea costus | July-August |
| 68. | Ligularia fiseheri | July-August |
| 69. | Androsace museoidea | July-August |
| 70. | Eritrichium conum | July-August |
| 71. | Lindelofi anchusoides | July-August |
| 72. | Thymus linearis | June-August |
| 73. | Rheum webbianum | June-August |
| 74. | Megacorpaea polyandra | June-August |
| 75. | Trillidium govanianum | June-August |
| 76. | Satyrium nepoleanse | June-August |
| 77. | Podophyllum hexaneum | June-August |
| 78. | Picrorhiza kurrooa | June-August |
| 79. | Polygonatum multiflorum | June-August |
 Morning Dew on a pink flower |
 Multi storied Flowers |
 An exquisite white flower |
See Also
- Lakshman Ganga River
- Pushpawati River
- Gobindghat
- Ghangaria
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Valley of Flowers National Park |
- Valley of Flowers National Park, Uttarakhand, Official website
- Official UNESCO website entry
- Pictures, Food, Guide, Prices & Accommodation at the Valley of Flowers
- GMVN Trek details
- Valley of Flowers National Park
- Near Gurdwara Hemkunt Sahib
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Coordinates: 30°44′00″N 79°38′00″E / 30.7333333°N 79.6333333°E
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