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Valley
of Flower
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This U-shaped alpine
valley, formed by retreating glaciers, remains
snow-covered from November to May. When the ice
thaws in June, the valley is rich with herbs,
medicinal and flowering plants, which burst into
a profusion of colour in July and August. The
month between mid-July
and mid-August is the ideal time to visit. The Valley
got publicised as the Valley of Flowers when
Frank S, Smith - mountaineer, explorer, botanist
camped here for several weeks in the monsoon of 1937
and wrote a book,
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The Valley of Flowers.
Because of the solitude, the
Valley was used by sadhus during prolonged periods of
meditation. The Valley has been associated with Lakshman,
who is believed to have meditated on the banks of
Hemkund. The 'Sanjeevani Buti', which revived him when
he was wounded in battle with Meghnad, son of Ravana, is
said to have been from here.
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Valley of Flowers National Park is
above Ghangria in the upper reaches of the Bhyundar
Ganga in the Zaskar Range of the Garhwal Himalaya,
Chamoli District. Bounded by high mountain ridges and
peaks on all sides, 8,950 ha of land were declared a
national park with effect from September 1982.It is a 5
km trek from Ghangria, which is 13 kms from the roadhead
at Govindghat, between Joshimath and Badrinath. At an
altitude ranging from 3,350 m to the peak of Gauri
Parbat at 6,719 m, the Valley of Flowers is essentially
the catchment area of the Pushpawati River, which
is known as the Bhyundar Ganga, downstream of Ghangria. |
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It consists of a glacial corridor, 7 km long and 2 km
wide, with it's source in the Tipra Glacier which
descends from Gauri Parbat. A wall of steep cliffs rises
2,000 m from the valley floor on the north side, while
the terrain slopes less precipitously to the south.
Being protected from the cold, dry winds from Tibet to
the north and partly shielded from the full effects of
the monsoon to the south, it has a distinctive climate.
In the monsoon, mornings are often clear, but as the day
progresses, clouds gather. The valley is snowbound from
November to May. |
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General
Information |
| Area
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87.5
Sq. Kms. |
| Altitude
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Between
3,352 mt. and 3,962 mt. |
| Location: |
On
the upper expansions of Bhyundar Ganga in Chamoli
District of Uttarakhand. |
| Best
time to visit : |
From
mid July to mid of August |
| Accessibility
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Air
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The
nearest airport is Jolly Grant, Dehradun, 319 kms. |
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Rail
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The
nearest railhead is at Rishikesh, 302. |
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Road
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Off
the Rishikesh-Badrinath road, 17 kms. from Govindghat.
(25 kms. from Badrinath). From Govindghat the distance
has to be trekked. Bus services are available to
Govindghat. Porters are available at Govindghat and
Ghangharia. |
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