For the tourists looking for a break from their stressful schedule, Uttarakhand’s sylvan surroundings are the ideal bet. From June 1, there’s one more reason to visit this Dev Bhoomi – the UNESCO World Heritage Site Valley of Flowers which has opened for visitors.
The Valley of Flowers is an Indian national park which was established in 1982. It is located in the higher Garhwal Himalayas in Chamoli district (near Badrinath) of Uttarakhand, approximately 300 km to the north of Rishikesh. Rich in floral and faunal abundance, the Valley is a living testament that Uttarakhand has been gifted with nature’s pristine beauty.
Thanks to Frank
The Valley was discovered by chance by Frank S Smythe, a keen British mountaineer and botanist, while trekking through the region in 1931, when he and his companions got lost while returning from a successful excursion to Mt. Kamet and came upon the valley, which was full of flowers. They were drawn to the area’s beauty and gave it the moniker “Valley of Flowers.” Later, Smythe also wrote a book with the same title.
Rare and endangered wildlife such as the Asiatic black bear, snow leopard, musk deer, brown bear, red fox, and blue sheep dwell in this wonderfully diversified habitat. Himalayan monal pheasant and other high-altitude birds can also be seen in the park.
Today, the valley is home to approximately 600 floral species, including some exotic types such as Brahma Kamal, Uttarakhand’s state flower. Blue poppy, also known as the Queen of Flowers, Bluebell, Primula, Potentilla, Aster, Lilium, Himalayan Blue Poppy, Delphinium, and Ranunculus are some of the other types found here.
A Traveller’s Dream Trek
Nestled at a height of 3,000 metres in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli region, it is open to the public from June to October. Beginning in October, the area is blanketed with snow for the remaining six months.
The Valley of Flowers has an area of 87.50 square kilometres and it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. It is a trekker’s heaven because it is only accessible by foot.
The valley is accessible via a seventeen-kilometre trip that begins in Ghangaria, at an elevation of 10,000 feet, and may be reached via a trek from Govindghat, a small township about an hour’s drive from Joshimath (the nearest town to the valley).
To visit the Valley of Flowers, travellers must first obtain a permit from the state forest department, which is issued at Ghangaria. The licence is only effective for three days. During the day, only visiting and trekking are permitted.
Furthermore, visitors are not permitted to remain in the National Park; however lodging is available in Ghangaria. The optimum time to visit is between July and early September, when the valley is ablaze with flowers just after the outbreak of monsoon.
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