Fig 1: Pushpavati river flows through the Valley of Flowers, Uttarakhand, India (Photo credit: iStock/Rattham)
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
I can imagine the renowned British mountaineer Frank S. Smythe quoting Robert Frost while relegating his children with tales of his adventures in the Himalayas. After all, it was his expedition, and an unexpected detour in it, which brought global attention to a valley that locals referred to as “Nandan Kanan,” meaning “Garden of Lord Indra in Paradise.”
Fig 2: Rolling alpine meadows in the Valley of Flowers (Photo credit: iStock/Vivek_Renukaprasad)
Let us rewind back to1931. British mountaineer and botanist Frank Smythe and two other mountaineers had just scaled Mt Kamet, the second highest mountain in the Garhwal Himalayas with an elevation of 7,756 m (25,446 ft). They were on their way back through the mountains when they ran into inclement weather. Searching for shelter, the group went off track and stumbled into…whoa…a valley aflush with flowers of every color. This valley, unbeknown to the outside world, was referred to by locals as “Phoolon ki Ghati”, literally meaning “Valley of Flowers.” There was such a profusion of flowers that, in Smythe’s own words, “it was impossible to take a step without crushing a flower.” The magical experience stayed with him, and Smythe returned back with fellow climbers in 1937 for a detailed exploration. The result was a book titled “The Valley of Flowers” published in 1938, and the valley has been known by this name ever since.
Fig 3: The rich and diverse alpine vegetation of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, which houses the Valley of Flowers (Photo credit: Vivek_Renukaprasad)
The Valley of Flowers is located in the transition zone between Zanskar mountains and the Great Himalayas. Located in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, this valley has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005. Situated at an elevation of 3,600 m (11,800 ft) above sea level, the Valley of Flowers is covered with heavy snow from November to May. When the snow starts melting in June, magic happens! The whole valley come alive with flowers of 600+ native species, including many endemic species of orchids, poppies, anemones and daisies. The flowers bloom against a backdrop of crystal-clear streams, cascading waterfalls and lush green mountains, creating awe-inspiring scenery. Legends of the Ramayan say that Lord Hanuman came to this valley in search of the magical herb Sanjeevani in order to revive Lakshman. According to local folklore, this valley is inhabited by fairies and Gods, leading to the name “Nandan Kanan,” or the Garden of Lord Indra.
Spread over an area of 87 sq km, the Valley of Flowers presents a stunning landscape of flower-filled meadows, towering mountains and misty valleys. In the coming days, we will meet a few show-stoppers from this pristine “Garden of Gods”!
Fig 4: Flowers are not the only beauties residing in the Valley of Flowers. Here’s another one – Himalayan Monal or Lophophorus impejanus. This stunning bird is the State Bird of Uttarakhand as well as the National Bird of Nepal. (Photo credit: Pratap Gurung, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons)