Valley of Flowers- Nature at its Best

Valley of Flowers is situated in the Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand and was established by a personality named Frank S. Smith back in the year 1931. Later on, in the year 1982 valley of flowers was officially announced as a National Park. The reserve spreads across an area of around 87.5 square kilometers. The place remains full of tourists from all around the globe throughout the year. Valley of Flowers has been declared as a world heritage site in the year 1988 by UNESCO. Nanda Devi National park lies in the close proximity of valley of flowers.

The aroma of fresh flowers can be felt in the air once you are close enough to the valley of flowers. It is situated at an altitude of nearly 3600 meters and is enclosed with snow-capped mountains. The valley was known by the name of the Bhyundar Valley in the past. Several mythological tales have been linked to this place and one of the most popular one says that it’s the same place where Hanuman searched for Sanjivani to cure Lakshman.

Adventure enthusiasts love to visit this place as one needs to trek for about 17 Km from a place called Govindghat located in the neighborhood of Joshimath. Some of the varieties of fauna found in the valley of flowers include Snow Leopard, Musk Deer, Serow, Himalayan Black Bear, Red Fox and Pika. There are tons of species of butterflies to be found here. Birds like Himalayan Golden Eagle, Griffon Vulture, Snow Partridge, etc. can also be spotted here. In terms of flora one can find Orchids, Marigold, Daisies, etc.