Valley of Flowers

The snow on the Himalayas add majesty to the mountains and the innumerable flowers add to its beauty. This famous spot is not very difficult to reach. When  the sun shines hot on this field, thousands of flowers bloom here. Tourists from all over the world come here. This valley was unknown till a British mountaineer Frank Smith first visited here.

In 1931, Frank Smith wanted to scale a peak in Garhwal called Comet. While returning after successfully completing his mission he took the western pass and lost his way and reached this valley after many difficulties.

All of a sudden he had come upon a sea of flowers  which totally enchanted him. He put up a tent and stayed here for many days. During these days he collected 260 different species of flowers. Some seeds he took back with him. In 1937, he came back again to this valley and stayed here for a long time. Then he wrote a book called "The Valley of Flowers". Soon after this this place became world famous. Nature lovers started visiting here.

Millions of different flowers adorn this valley. One also finds different kinds of insects, birds and butterflies. This valley is surrounded by high mountains on three sides and is at a height of 3500 to 6,500 mts above sea level.

In 1982, this valley was named the Republic Park. Its area was fixed at 87.5 sq. kms, Some of the flowers are saxifrags, sediams, lily, poppy, calendular, daisy, denthus, turmopsis, primula, dadiculatar, pontitala, geranium, cipro nepolysis, holly, pansy, zinnia, petunia, fox, caropsis dynthus etc.

Many small streams flow within this valley adding to its overall beauty. The high mountain peaks surrounding this valley look like they are guarding it. The glaciers amongst this look very attractive.

After reading Frank Smith's book many  foreign tourists came here. One of them was an English woman called Margaret Lague who came here in 1939. She was very fond of flowers. On the 4th of July, when she was trying to pick one of  the rare flowers she slipped from a rock and fell into chasm to her death below. In her memory the tombstone on her grave reads as "My eyes will forever drink in the beauty of the mountains which gave me strength and inspiration". The tourists who visit this valley never fail to visit her grave and pay homage.

Suggestion: Take warm clothes. Do not forget to take an umbrella and also a water-proof jacket. Do not pull out the flowers from their roots and pay attention to the cleanliness factor. Do not litter with polythene, any other plastic or trash.

How to Get There: By Rail: The closest railway station is Rishikesh.

By Road: From Rishikesh there are buses and taxis available  till Joshimath. Then from Joshimath to Govind Ghat, the distance can also be covered by buses or taxis.

By foot: The valley of Flowers is in the Chamoli District of Garhwal. Govind Ghat is a village 20 kms from Badrinath. The trek from Govind Ghat to the Valley of Flowers is 17 kms. The last overnight stay is at Ghangaria which is just 3 kms from the valley. There are small hotels and restaurants available here. Fast foods, Chinese food, cool drinks and vegetarian food can be availed. One road from Ghangaria leads to the Valley of Flowers and an other  is a steep climb of 6 kms   to Hemkund lake. This place is an important pilgrim centre for those following the Sikh religion. There is a massive Sikh temple here. From Ghangaria, tourists can visit the valley and return the same day.

Govind Ghat is also equipped with hotels and guest houses. 4 kms from here is the Pulna Village and  5 kms later, the Bhyundar Village, from where Ghangaria is 4 kms away. The whole journey sees small petty shops and snack bars on the way. From Govind Ghat ponies and horses can also be hired.