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Ratan Vani Parvat, 6166m, from the Valley.                                                                              

 Valley Of Flowers Trekking
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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 mean sea level. Rich references to this colouful and eye catching Valley, are found in the annals of Indian History and literature such as the Ramayana and Mahabharat.

The valley of  Flowers  National  Park starts from Ghangharia but the main valley starts after crossing the gorge and the stream starting from Nar Parvat, 3 kms. from  Ghangharia. In front of the Valley stands the snowclad  peak of  Ratban  Parvat and at the back is the Kunt Khal. Towards the left is Nar Parvat, which separates the Badrinath valley from this valley, and to the right is dense Birch forest on the hill sides.

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 areAnemone, 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 specialities 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.

APPROACH : 

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 wher the Valley is only 3 kms. 

GENERAL INFORMATION :

Area  :  87.5 Sq. Kms. 
Location: On the upper expansions of Bhyundar Ganga in Chamoli District of Uttar Pradesh. 
Climate : July and August 
Maximum Temp.: 15 to 25 Celsius 
Minimum Temp :  -15 to 5 Celsius 
Head Quarters : Joshimath 
Nearest Railway Station : Rishikesh, Distt. Dehradun 
Nearest Air Port : Jolly Grant, Distt. Dehradun (17 Kms. From Rishikesh) 
Nearest petrol pump : Jharkula, Joshimath (22 kms. Before Govindghat) 
Nearest Hospital/Market/Bank : Joshimath 
Nearest Post & Telegraph Office/Phone : Govindghat 
Best time to visit : From mid July to mid of August 

Cost: Rs.20,000 per person (for group of 2 pax )

4.08% government service tax and permits fees extra.

COSTS exclude:  Accommodation in Rishikesh, Personal Insurance, all alcoholic beverages and Expenses of personal nature.

The Valley of flowers

The valley was 'discovered' by the british mountaineer Frank Smythe in 1931 after a successful climb on Kamet peak. The team crossed the Bhyundar Pass in the lashing rain and mist, intent on forging a new route through the mountains back to Joshimath. As they descended into the shelter of the valley, the clouds lifted and revealed alpine meadows carpeted with wildflowers. They were greeted with the sight of primula, saxifrage, red potentillas, geraniums, asters, gentians, anemones, delphiniums, blue corydalis and wild roses. The many hundreds of flowering species lead Smythe to refer to the Bhyundar Valley as the 'valley of flowers'.

Reprints of Frank Smythe's book The Valley of Flowers can be found in Delhi.

The valley is 10 km long and 2 km wide, and is divided by the Pushpawati stream, into wich several tiny streams and waterfalls merge.

Hemkund Sahib

From Ghangaria, it is possible to follow the Laxma Ganga to the lake at Hemkund (4329m). In the Sikh holy book Dasam Granth, the Sikh guru Gobind Singh recounts that in a previous life he meditated on the shores of a lake surrounded by seven snow-capped mountains. In 1930, a teacher from a Sikh religious center recognised this lake as Hemkund. As the valley of flowers has been an attraction for botanists worldwide since 1930's, Hemkund has become a main pilgrimage for Sikhs. Most pilgrims wash themselves in the icy waters of the lake before visiting the gurdwara, built around 20 years ago next to the lake.

Badrinath and Mana

Badrinath is a Hindu holy center (dham) as Yamunotri, Gangotri and Kedarnath in the area,

lying beneath the snow-capped peak of Nilkantha (6957m).

About 3 km north of the village is the small Bhotia settlement of Mana,

the last village before the Tibetan border, just over 30 km away.

It was before an important trading village between India and Tibet.

During winter, the villagers retreat from the heavy snows to Joshimath and Chamoli.

Hindu temple at Badrinath (3150m)

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