Tuesday, July 10, 2012

The Valley of Flowers – magic land of peace of mind


Valley of Flowers is extremely beautiful valley located high in the Western Himalayas, India. Described by climbers and botanists for over a century, this extremely diverse terrain is home to over 500 many rare and endangered species, including Himalayan brown bear, snow leopard, baralat (Himalayan blue ram) and more.


The national park stretches over an expanse of 87 km² the reserve and it is situated at an altitude of 3500 – 4000 m. Almost inaccessible to tourists due to the high altitude, the park is still considered one of the most beautiful places in the world. Getting to the Valley of Flowers requires a trek of about 17 km (Grade : Moderate) – a dream for all explorers. The park is in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves since 1988.


The park is home to huge variety of fauna and flora including musk deer, red fox, Himalayan Golden Eagle, Snow Pigeon etc. and a huge variety of butterflies. The flowers include mostly orchids, marigold, daisies and anemones but 31 species are recognized as endangered species, while 45 others are medicinal plants, applied daily by local residents, including Dactylorhiza hatagirea, Picrorhiza kurrooa, Aconitum violaceum, Polygonatum multiflorum, Fritillaria roylei and Podophyllum hexandrum.

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