British mountaineer Frank Smythe stumbled upon the Valley of Flowers in 1931. ‘In all my mountain wandering,’ he wrote, ‘I have not seen a more beautiful valley where the human spirit may find repose.’ The meadows (bugyal) of tall wild flowers are a glorious sight on a sunny day, rippling in the breeze, and framed by mighty 6000m mountains which have glaciers and snow decorating their peaks all year.
The 300 species of flowers make the valley a unique and valuable pharmaceutical resource that may soon be a World Heritage site. Unfortunately most flowers bloom during the monsoon season in July and August when the rains make access difficult and hazardous. But the peace and beauty that Smythe found here can be experienced at any season, and there’s still a good chance of seeing a carpet of flowers in September.
The 87-sq-km Valley of Flowers National Park (Indian/foreigner for 3 days Rs 40/350, for subsequent days Rs 20/175; 6am-6pm, last entry 3pm) starts less than 1km from Ghangaria village. Just 2km from the ticket office, the fabled valley begins and continues for another 5km. Tracks are easy to follow.
No overnight stay is permitted here (or at Hem Kund) so all visitors must stay in Ghangaria. A tougher trek from Ghangaria is to join the hundreds of Sikh pilgrims toiling up to the 4300m Hem Kund, the sacred lake where the Sikh guru, Gobind Singh, is believed to have meditated in a previous life. The pilgrim season runs from around 1 June to 1 October. Ponies (Rs 350) are available if you prefer to ride up the 6km zigzag track.
Also called Govinddham, Ghangaria is a one-street village in a wonderful deodar forest with a busy market, a handful of budget hotels and restaurants, hundreds of ponies, a pharmacy and a doctor.
Ghangaria is a scenic but strenuous 14km, seven-hour uphill trek from Govindghat, but you can help the local economy by hiring a porter (Rs 350) or a pony (Rs 400). The return trip takes four to five hours. All buses and share jeeps between Joshimath and Badrinath stop in Govindghat (check times locally), so you can easily get transport in either direction.
A brief video of 2 1/2 minutes (source NDTV wonders of India Competition) is embeded below. This video just glimpses over the beauty of Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib.
As the name suggests, Vasudhara is a magnificent water fall. This place is 5 km from Badrinath, out of which 2 km is motor able upto Mana.
A pyramidal shaped snowy peak (6,600 m) towering above Badrinath presents a dramatic sight. It is popularly known as the 'Garhwal Queen'.
