The valley is located in Chamoli Garhwal in the state of
Uttaranchal, close to Nanda Devi National Park. About 595 kilometres
from Delhi, the altitude of valley of flowers Uttaranchal varies from
3,200 m to 6,675 m.
About The Valley Of Flowers (Uttarakhand)
Valley of flowers Uttarakhand was well protected and hidden from the
world, only the locals frequented the place. It was in as late as 1931
that the place was discovered by Frank Smith, a mountaineer, botanist
and an explorer who came across this valley accidentally. He introduced
the place to world. He was so enchanted by the place which at that time
was in its full bloom that he wrote a book here ‘Valley of Flowers’. The
book further popularised the place.
The valley is bounded by peaks from all sides and an area of 8,950
hectares here was declared a National park in September 1982. It was
only in July 2005 that the valley of flowers Uttarakhand was added to
the list of World Heritage sites by UNESCO. The valley is so significant
because of the rich diversified flora it has in its bounds. The valley
itself is located at a transition point of Zanskar and Himalayan ranges
and Eastern and Western Himalayas. This results in bringing together a
rich diversified flora at one place, several of the flower species found
here are internationally endangered. There are also many endangered
medicinal plants here.
Best Time To Visit Valley of Flowers Uttaranchal
The best time to be here is in the months of July and August after
the snow has melted. That’s when the weather is pleasant and the flowers
are also in their full bloom.
How To Reach Valley of Flowers Uttarakhand
Reach Rishikesh which is at a distance of 225 km from Delhi and is
well connected by air, rail and road. From Rishikesh, an 11 hour road
journey will bring you to Joshimath and a further 1 hour journey will
bring you to Govindghat – the place from where trekking to the Valley of
Flowers Uttaranchal begins.
Valley Of Flowers Pictures
The Valley of Flowers Trek
- To reach the valley of flowers Uttarakhand, trek begins at Govind Ghat.
- From Pulna onwards, your eyes will be treated to scenic beauty of
the nature at its undisturbed best – wild flowers, waterfalls, springs,
rocky boulders and in between glimpses of snow clad peaks.
- Camping and overnight stay is not allowed in the valley so Ghanghria serves as the base camp during the trek.
- Beyond Ghagharia, the journey is on foot only, entry of ponies is
prohibited. Plan a valley of flowers tours to get mesmerized with
majestic peaks and river Pushpawati flowing through it, dividing it into
two sections. Many streams also flow through the valley irrigating it,
adding to the beauty before finally merging with River Pushpawati.
- There is a single track in the valley to view flowers, no side
tracks to have a closer look at what lies farther. You will have to
struggle your way through foliage and shrubs to have a closer look but
all the trouble is worth it.
- Within the valley itself you will see many different smaller valleys
being formed, these have formed because of streams of glacier water
flowing through the valley. The patterns of flowers around these smaller
valleys are worth watching, specially the ones around the last of the
valleys near Donagair Garh.
- The left bank of Pushpawati has many areas of flat land, one of them
is called Nag Tal. The flowers here are considered to be poisonous so
pluck, smell or crush them at your own risk.
Flowers in Valley of Flowers
Valley Of Flowers Chamoli, Uttaranchal
The valley of flowers in Uttarakhand by itself is alpine. The flora
here is well adapted to the harsh climatic conditions. From November to
May, it is a bed of snow but once the ice melts, from below emerges a
riot of colours. Visitors can spot some 300 hundred species of flowers
on their valley of flowers tours.
- Some of the prominent species of flowers here are
Saxifrags, Sediams, Lilies, Poppy, Calendular, Daisies, Denthus,
Turmopsis, Primula, Dadiculatar, Pontitala, Geranium, Cipro Nepolysis,
Holly, Pansy, Zinnia, Petunia, Fox, Caropsis Dynthus and many more.
- The flowers with tremendous medicinal values are
Anemone, Geranium, Marsh, Marigold, Primula, Potentilla, Geum, Aster.
Lilium, Himalayan blue poppy, Aconite, Delphinium, Ranunculus,
Corydalis, Inula, Saussurea Abvallata, Campanula. Pedicularis, Trysimum,
Morina, Impetiens, Bistorta. Ligularia. Anaphalis Saxifraga, Lobelia,
Thermophis, Trolises. Aquilogia, Codonopsis. Dactylorhiza and
Cypripedium.
Animals in The Valley
The valley does not boasts of much animal life but it is not
completely devoid of it either. Some of the animals you will spot here
are the Himalayan Musk deer and yellow throated Marten. Though Snow
Leopards, Blue Sheep, Black and Brown Bears, and Himalayan Tahr also
frequent the valley of flowers Uttarakhand but chances of spotting them
are bleak. There are a lot many insects here and particularly many
species of butterflies are found here.
Excursions From the Valley of Flowers India
While visiting the Valley of Flowers, you can also plan a trip to the
surrounding tourist destinations, mainly Joshimath and Auli, both of
which are quiet closeby. Below, find distances of valley of Flowers from
few important destinations.
Few Important Distances From The Valley of Flowers India
Delhi – 595 kms
Rishikesh 225 kms
Auli 6 kms
Nanital 231 kms
Dehradun 256 kms
Shimla 483 km
Chandigarh 423 kms
Joshimath 42 km
