Chamoli: The world famous valley of flowers in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district opened to visitors on Saturday with 500 flower species set to enthrall the visitors from all over the world.
DFO of Nanda Devi National Park IFS BV Martolia flagged off the first group of tourists to the valley of flowers from the Ghangaria base camp to the beautiful national park located in the high Himalayan Bhyudar valley of Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.
The valley of flowers, which is spread over an area of about 87 sq km at an altitude of about 12,500 feet above sea level in Chamoli district, will remain open for general tourists till 31 October. The world famous tourist spot was granted the status of world heritage site by the UNESCO on July 17, 2005.
The Valley of Flowers is part of the Nanda Devi National Park. The National management had completed all the formal preparations for opening the valley. The 5 km walking trek route from Ghangaria to Baman Dhod was repaired by the Forest Department for hassle free movement of visitors. A footpath has been made for walking around the glacier.
It is worth mentioning that about 500 rare species of flowers bloom in this world heritage Valley of Flowers, discovered by British mountaineer Frank Smith in 1932, from mid-July to September. Tourists can also see many species of rare wild animals in the valley.
These days, beds of many flowers including Alpine Primula flower, Geranium, Potentilla Aster, Butter Cape are seen blooming around their natural habitats in the valley. Every year thousands of tourists and nature lovers from India and abroad visit the Valley of Flowers, which also gives a good income to the forest department.
