VALLEY OF FLOWERS – UTTRAKHAND

A place where time seeks no end is none other than Valley of Flowers in Uttrakhand, India. A sense of epic is itself transuded from the name Valley of Flowers. This place delivers an extraordinary lifetime experience. The spell bound beauty of this place is fills in enthusiasm in one and all. The beauty spread in the Valley of Flowers, make you forget everything. It been the choice of mountaineers, botanist or the Hindu mythologists.

The Valley of Flowers National Park is located in Chamoli Garhwal, close to Nanda Devi National Park. It is nestled in West Himalayan regions and covers a vast area of 87.50 sqkms. At an elevation of 3658 mts above the sea level, sited in Bhyundar Valley. It a protected, UNESCO world heritage site, declared as a National Park I the year 1982. The richness of varied flora and fauna offered by this place has lured people worldwide. The density of flora is very high, when compared to the fauna in this valley. All the animal species in this area are rare or endangered. It is home to more than 100 species of birds and 2o species of animals. The very common species is Tahr can be seen here. Even the snow leopard is found here. The divine land is endowed with more than 500 species of flora. The grounds are carpeted with common varieties of orchids and poppies. The rich species of medicinal plants are also found here. The Valley is divided into two parts by the water of river Pushpawati River.

The land of mystical serenity bears a distinctive microclimatic conditions and is open for visitors from June to October, in other parts of year this place is covered with snow. In the month of June, this place is swamped with pilgrims for Sri Hemkunt Sahib, as a result there is shortage of accommodation and raised prices of transportation, food and living. The best thing about visiting in June is no or either very less rainfall. In the month of July, the place experiences monsoon and more varieties of flora is visible. The months of September and October are last for visiting the Valley of Flowers. The best time to mesmerize your senses with spell bound beauty of this place is in mid-July to mid-Septembers.

The visitors can enjoy the beauty of the place, from 6am to 6 pm. The entry in the valley is restricted after 3pm. A nominal entry fee is charged to the spectators, like Rs150 for Indian nationals for 3 day pass and Rs600 to foreigners. Ghangaria is nearest place to stay, only 6 kms from the Valley. A trek of 17 kms is required to reach the valley. The nearest towns Joshimath is connected to Haridwar and Rishikesh through road. Even the train facility is available till Haridwar, from there you can hire a cab or bus. The nearest airport is located at Dehradun.

A visit to Valley of Flowers, will make you experience how nature looks in its pristine form.