UNESCO World Heritage Site ‘Valley of Flowers’ opens on June 1

It was an accidental discovery by an avid British mountaineer and a botanist, Frank S Smythe, when he was traversing through the region in 1931.

The valley today is home to over 600 flowering species, including some exotic varieties like Brahmkamal, which is also the state flower of Uttarakhand. Other varieties include Blue poppy, described as the Queen of Flowers, Bluebell, Primula, Potentilla, Aster, Lilium, Himalayan Blue Poppy, Delphinium, and Ranunculus. The region also has a rich faunal diversity with species like the leopard, musk deer, and blue sheep.

The valley today is home to oversix hundred flowering species, including some exotic varieties like Brahmkamal, which is also the state flower of Uttarakhand.

Declared a National Park in 1982, the Valley of Flowers stretches over an expanse of 87.50 sq. km. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. Accessible only on foot, it is a paradise for trekkers. The valley has a 17 km-long trek that begins at Ghangaria, situated at an altitude of 10,000 feet, which can be reached via a trek from Govindghat, a small township near Joshimath.

A permit is required from the state forest department to enter the Valley of Flowers.

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