Valley of Flowers National Park is an Indian national park created in 1982. It is located in Chamoli, Uttarakhand, and is famous for its meadows filled with unique alpine flowers and many types of plants. This area is also home to rare and endangered animals, such as the Asiatic black bear, snow leopard, musk deer, brown bear, red fox, and blue sheep. Birds found in the park include the Himalayan monal pheasant and other high-altitude birds.

The park is located at an elevation of 3,352 to 3,658 meters above sea level. Its gentle landscape works with the rough mountain areas of Nanda Devi National Park to the east. Together, they form a special area where the Zanskar and Great Himalayas mountain ranges meet. The park covers an area of about 87.50 kilometers and is approximately 8 kilometers long and 2 kilometers wide. It lies completely in the temperate alpine zone. Both parks are part of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (223,674 ha), which has a surrounding buffer zone (5,148.57 km). Nanda Devi National Park Reserve is included in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

The park is open only during the summer months, from June to October. For the rest of the year, it is covered by heavy snow.

History

The area was not well known to people outside because it was hard to reach. In 1931, Frank S. Smythe, Eric Shipton, and R. L. Holdsworth, who were British climbers, became lost while returning from a successful climb on Mt. Kamet. They discovered a valley filled with flowers. They were drawn to the beauty of the place and named it the "Valley of Flowers." Later, Smythe wrote a book with the same name.

In 1939, Lady Joan Margaret Legge, a scientist who studied plants and was sent by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, visited the valley to collect samples. While walking on rocky ground, she slipped and died. Her sister later visited the valley and placed a memorial near the spot.

In 1993, Prof. Chandra Prakash Kala, a scientist sent by the Wildlife Institute of India, studied the types of plants and how to protect them in the valley for 10 years. He listed 520 kinds of alpine plants found only in this national park. He also wrote two books: "The Valley of Flowers – Myth and Reality" and "Ecology and Conservation of the Valley of Flowers National Park, Garhwal Himalaya."

1862: Col. Edmund Smyth discovered the Pushpawati River Valley.
1931: Climber Frank S. Smythe visited the valley and wrote a book about the "Valley of Flowers."
1934: Mountaineers Eric Shipton and Bill Tilman reached and described the upper Nanda Devi Sanctuary.
1936: Mountaineers Bill Tilman and Noel Odell climbed Nanda Devi.
1939: The basin was made a protected area called the Nanda Devi Game Sanctuary by Government Order 1493/XIV-28 of 7/01.
1962: Disputes over borders closed the area to travelers, changing the local economy.
1974–82: The sanctuary was opened for climbing, but damage caused it to close completely.
1980: The area was named Sanjay Gandhi National Park by Notification 3912/XIV 3-35-80. Grazing and climbing were stopped.
1980: The Valley of Flowers was made a national park by Government Order 4278/XIV-3-66-80 to protect its plants under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
1982: The park was renamed Nanda Devi National Park.
1988: The Nanda Devi National Biosphere Reserve was created (223,674 hectares). The national park became the core area (62,462 hectares), and a buffer zone (514,857 hectares) was added. Rules were made to limit the rights of nearby villagers. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list.
2000: The Biosphere Reserve was expanded to 586,069 hectares, and the Valley of Flowers National Park was added as a second core area (71,212 hectares).
2004: The two core areas and buffer zone were designated a UNESCO MAB reserve.

Location

Getting to the Valley of Flowers requires a trek of about 17 km (10.5 mi). The nearest major town is Joshimath in Garhwal, which has easy road access from Haridwar and Dehradun, both about 270 km (168 mi) south of Joshimath. From Delhi, travelers can take a train to Haridwar and then ride a bus to Govindghat through Rishikesh. Govindghat is approximately 24 km from another important place called Badrinath. It is also possible to drive directly from Delhi to Govindghat, a distance of about 500 km.

Govindghat is a small village near Joshimath (about one hour by car), where the trek begins. From Govindghat, shared taxis can take travelers up to 4 km, followed by a trek of less than 11 km (8.6 mi) to Ghangaria, a small settlement located about 3 km (2 mi) from the valley. Visitors may also hire a porter, mule, or helicopter to reach Ghangaria. The path from Govindghat to Ghangaria is shared with the trek to the Gurudwara Shri Hemkund Sahib Sikh Temple at Hemkund, and many Sikh pilgrims are often seen along the route. As travelers approach Ghangaria, they will see fields of fragrant wildflowers, wild rose bushes, and wild strawberries along the trail. To visit the Valley of Flowers, a permit must be obtained from the Forest Department in Ghangaria. The permit is valid for three days and allows only daytime visits and trekking.

Visitors are not allowed to stay inside the national park. Accommodation is available in Ghangaria. The best time to visit is between July and early September, when the valley is filled with blooming flowers, shortly after the monsoon season begins.

The Valley of Flowers is located in the Pushpawati river valley, in the upper part of the Bhyundar Ganga river near Joshimath in Garhwal. The lower part of the Bhyundar Ganga near Govindghat is known as the Bhyundar Valley. The Valley of Flowers lies between 30° 41' to 30° 48'N and 79° 33' to 79° 46'E, in the Pushpawati valley. It is 20 km northwest of Nanda Devi National Park, across the wide valley of the Bhyundar Ganga. It is one of two hanging valleys at the head of the Bhyundar valley. The other is the shorter Hemkund valley, which runs parallel to the Valley of Flowers about 10 km to the south. The Valley of Flowers stretches east-west for about 15 km and has an average width of 6 km. A small tributary of the Pushpawati river flows through the valley, originating from the Tipra glacier on Gauri Parbat in the east.

The area is part of the Zanskar range of the Himalayas. The highest point in the national park is Gauri Parbat, which reaches 6,719 meters above sea level.

The Nanda Devi Basin, where the Valley of Flowers is located, has a unique microclimate. It is generally dry with low annual rainfall, but heavy monsoon rains occur from late June to early September. Mist and low clouds during the monsoon keep the soil moist, making the vegetation greener than in other dry inner Himalayan valleys. From mid-April to June, temperatures are moderate to cool, with a maximum of 19°C. The Valley of Flowers is also shielded from the full impact of the summer monsoon by the Greater Himalaya range to the south. Dense fog and rain are common during the late summer monsoon. Both the Basin and the Valley are usually covered in snow for six to seven months, from late October to late March. Snow accumulates more deeply and at lower altitudes on the southern side of the valleys than on the northern side.

Ecology

The Valley of Flowers is a high-altitude Himalayan valley that has been recognized by many people, including scientists, writers, and religious groups. It has been known for over 100 years and is mentioned in Hindu traditions. People in the area have visited the valley for a long time, and Indian yogis once came here to meditate. The valley is famous for its many colorful flowers, which change colors over time.

The Valley of Flowers is important because it has a wide variety of alpine plants. These plants are part of a special area called the Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows ecoregion. The valley is located where two mountain ranges meet, and it has plants from both the Eastern and Western Himalayas. Some plants in the valley are in danger of disappearing, and some are found only in Uttarakhand. A few are not found in Nanda Devi National Park. The valley has more threatened medicinal plants than other protected areas in the Himalayas. The entire Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve is in a special area for birds. The Valley of Flowers National Park is the second main area of this reserve. Seven bird species live only in this part of the bird area.

Some flowers in the valley include:
– Flowers blooming in the valley
– A flower in the Valley of Flowers (VoF)
– Another flower in the Valley of Flowers (VoF)
– A snapshot of a flower in VoF
– A flower blooming
– Beautiful purple flowers in VoF
– A beautiful flower snapshot

The valley has three types of sub-alpine zones:
1. Foothills alpine, between 3,200 m and 3,500 m (the highest place where trees grow).
2. Lower alpine, between 3,500 m and 3,700 m.
3. Higher alpine, above 3,700 m.

The habitats in the valley include valley bottoms, riverbeds, small forests, meadows, slopes, plateaus, bogs, stone deserts, and caves. The hills around the valley have thick forests. In 1992, scientists found 600 types of flowering plants and 30 types of ferns in the valley and nearby areas. They discovered 58 new plant records, including 4 new for the Himalayas. Five of these plants are in danger of disappearing and are not found in Nanda Devi National Park or elsewhere in Uttarakhand. These include Aconitum falconeri, A. balfouri, Himalayan maple (Acer caesium), blue Himalayan poppy (Meconopsis aculeata), and Saussurea atkinsoni. In 1998, 31 rare or endangered plant species were found in the national park. The most common plant family is Asteraceae, with 62 species. Local people use 45 medicinal plants, and some, like Saussurea obvallata (brahmakamal), are used in religious offerings to goddesses Nanda Devi and Sunanda Devi. The valley is known as a Center of Plant Diversity.

The sub-alpine zone has high-altitude forests that help keep moisture and snow. These forests support many plants and animals. Common trees include Himalayan maple (Acer caesium), west Himalayan fir (Abies pindrow), Himalayan white birch (Betula utilis), and Rhododendron campanulatum. Other plants include Himalayan yew (Taxus wallichiana), Syringa emodi, and Sorbus lanata. Common herbs are Arisaema jacquemontii, Boschniakia himalaica, Corydalis cashmeriana, Polemonium caerulium, Impatiens sulcata, Geranium wallichianum, Galium aparine, Morina longifolia, Inula grandiflora, Nomochoris oxypetala, nemone rivularis, Pedicularis pectinata, P. bicornuta, Primula denticulate, and Trillidium govanianum. In areas where animals once gathered, Himalayan knotweed (Polygonum polystachium) grows quickly.

In 1987, the Botanical Survey of India studied the flowers. In 1992, the Forest Research Institute did the same. In 1997, the Wildlife Institute of India found five new plant species. Flowers like orchids, poppies, primulas, marigolds, daisies, and anemones cover the ground. Birch and rhododendron forests grow in parts of the park. A study from 1993 to 2003 found 520 plant species in the valley, 498 of which are flowering plants. The park has many medicinal plants, including Dactylorhiza hatagirea, Picrorhiza kurrooa, Aconitum violaceum, Polygonatum multiflorum, Fritillaria roylei, and Podophyllum hexandrum.

Some flowers found in the valley include:
– Himalayan bell flower, Campanula latifolia
– Morning dew on a pink flower, Geranium sp
– Multi-storied flowers, Morina longifolia
– Meadow Geranium (Geranium pratense) in the heart of the Valley of Flowers

Wild animals in the valley are not very common, but those that live there are rare or endangered. Before 2004, 13 mammal species were recorded in the park, though only 9 were seen directly:
– Northern plains gray langur (Semnopithecus entellus)
– Red giant flying squirrel (Petaurista petaurista)
– Himalayan black bear (Ursus thibetanus)
– Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)
– Himalayan weasel (Mustela sibirica)
– Himalayan yellow-throated marten (Martes flavigula)
– Himalayan goral (Naemorhedus goral)
– Himalayan musk deer (Moschus leucogaster)
– Indian spotted chevrotain (Moschiola indica)
– Bharal or blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur)
– Himalayan tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus)
–

Conservation

The park is managed by the Uttarakhand State Forestry Department and the national Ministry of Environment and Forests, India. There are no permanent homes in the park, and grazing animals has been banned since 1983. The park is open for about 4 to 5 months during the summer, from June to October.

A nursery and storage area for seeds, rhizomes, and tubers has been built near the entrance at Musadhar. This area is used to grow rare plants and valuable medicinal herbs. Special projects focus on plants such as Aconitum heterophyllum, A. falconeri, Arnebia benthamii, Dactylorhiza hatagirea, Gymnadenia orchides, Megacarpaea polyandra, Picrorhiza kurrooa, Podophyllum hexandrum, and Taxus wallichiana. Research areas have been created to find the best way to stop the spread of the tall Himalayan knotweed, Polygonum polystachium, without harming other plants or the soil. The first survey was conducted in 2004 and will be repeated every year.