Worldroom MICE Tourism Guide: India 2008


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	Worldroom National Tourism Guide INDIA 2008archive


	Driving through some of the most pristine mountain tracts of the Kumaon hills, it's easy to understand why, for centuries they have been called one of India's most hallowed natural settings. Apart from their stunning physical beauty there is an inexplicable sense of spirituality that pervades all around. The gentle breezes are like a divine benediction, the warmth of the sun radiates the healing powers of the gods who are said to reside here, the effervescent rivers and brooks wending their way through the richly forested hills are a constant reminder of the elemental features of creativity that nourish the spirit. Nanda Devi, Naina Devi, Parvati - so many names... so many avatars of the 'bliss-giving goddess' who reigns supreme over the Uttarakhand hills of Kumaon and Garhwal. Her countless legends, her generosity, her myriad moods inextricably embrace the lives of the people. From her birthplace in the glacial heights of the lofty Himalayas she has shaped the lives of her people with her endless bounty that has nourished this lush land with its hallowed rivers and high mountain grandeur. Devotees and adventure seekers simply can't get enough of these bewitching landscapes with their stunning beauty and restful solace. Surrounded by her lofty retinue of peaks Nanda Devi (7820m) is India's highest peak and marks the northern boundary between Kumaon and Garhwal. South of her is Nanda Ghunti (6309m), Trisul (7120m) and Nanda Kot (6860m), in the northeast are Hardeol (7151m) Trisuli 1 (7074m) and Rishi Pahar (6992m), to her southeast is the Panchchuli range separating the Gauri Ganga from the Kali (Sharda) river which mark the borders between Nepal and India. THE PARK The birthplace of the goddess lies in the protected biosphere of the inner reaches of the Nanda Devi National Park (630sq km) straddling Uttarakhand's Kumaon and Garhwal region. Located in the glacial reaches of the Himalayas the park runs along the borderlines between Uttarakhand’s Kumaon and Garhwal hills, but the main peak of Nanda Devi is located east of Almora. Access to the park area is only via Lata (25km) and Tolma (30km) villages east of Joshimath in the Kumaon hills. Being protected by the near-impassable gorge created by the Rishi Ganga, an eastern tributary of the Dhauli Ganga, the park is paradise of vegtational and wildlife diversity. The Chamoli Nanda Devi Raj Jaat, held every twelve years, is a risky pilgrimage, in which the image of the goddess is carried in a process in a palki by her devotees from the tiny village of Nauti village (near Karanprayag) along a treacherous passge to the heights of Roopkund and Homkund. Within the inner sanctuary area lie the twin peaks (east and west) of Nanda Devi flanked by Trisul, Changbahang and Dunagiri peaks. Adventure enthusiast who want to trek the sanctuary environs are prohibited from entering this core area. The furthest they can trek to is the glorious setting of Dharansi, near the northwest-end of the park. The Nanda Devi area was first explored in the Raj-era when mountaineers Eric Shipton and H.W Tilman discovered a viable route into this forbidding terrain along the treacherous Rishi Ganga Gorge in 1934. Their first ascent of the peak, a nerve tingling harrowing experience, was only made two years later. A path breaking feat it was, in time, to lead to a cavalcade of expeditions into the area. In 1939 it was declared a game sanctuary (Nanda Devi Sanctuary). By the 70s the detriment to the environment of the sanctuary was reaching alarming proportions. Led by Gauri Devi and other women of the local communities the Chipko Movement, to protest the denudation of the forests, drew the serious attention of the government to the area's ecological plight. In 1982 it was named the Nanda Devi National Park to trigger off a massive conservation programme. UNESCO leant its might to these efforts by inscribing it on its World Heritage Site List. In 1986 The Nanda Devi National Biosphere Reserve was established with a buffer zone nestling around it along with the Valley of Flowers National Park located close by. In 2004 the two core zones of the Nanda Dev NP and Valley of Flowers NP, and buffer zone were designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The Nanda Devi National park is spread over is 640.703 sq km. Both the core areas of the Nanda Devi NP and the Valley of Flowers NP are under strict management to ensure that their unique eco-systems are protected. In 2004 the government also partially opened up the area by allowing a few expeditions to the alpine meadows of Dharansi and Debrugheta in the outer area. The only way to explore the permitted areas of the park is by trekking. To do so you need to get a special permit. The park is open from May-Oct. The Park is home to 14 known species of mammals. Of these six of them are on India's endangered list. Amongst the important denizens of thses beautiful environs are the blue sheep or bharal, Himalayan musk deer, serow and Himalayan tahr. The snow leopard and balck bear. The park is rich in birdlife and offers rewarding bird watching trips. At least 546 species have been sighted in the Biosphere Reserve area. The vegetal patterns of the park are marked by its geographic setting and stunning physical features. By the gorge are forests rich in fir, rhododendron and birch. With the change in altitude you will come across grasses, mosses and lichens. The glaciers are bordered by vast woody tracts, which in turn give way to alpine plant life and lichens. Getting There Air Nearest airport: Jolly Grant airport near Dehra Dun is the nearest airport (295km) which is connected by daily flights from Delhi Rail Rishikesh is the nearest railhead (276km) Road From Rishikesh to Joshimath it is a 253 km drive. Lata, the nearest roadhead for the trek is 25km from here. THE VALLEY OF FLOWERS This gorgeous in the Garhwal Himalayas - named the Valley of Flowers by mountaineer Frank S, Smythe in 1931 when he came upon it after crossing the Bhyundar Pass, having successfully climbed Mt Kamet with five of his English companions is one of India's most favoured trekking sites. Overwhelmed by " snow white drifts of anemones, golden lily-like nomocharis, marigolds, delphiniums, violets, eritrichiums, blue corydalis, wild roses, flowering shrubs and rhododendrons" Smythe went on to write The Valley of Flowers to commemorate his fantastic experience. Declared a National Park in 1972 it has over 600 Himalayan species of vegetal life in an area of less than 2,500 hectares. Straddling the catchment basin of the Paspawati River, a small tributary flowing from the Tipra glacier the Valley of Flowers (roughly15 km long and 6 km wide) lies 20 km northwest of Nanda Devi National Park. The entry point to the park is the forest department checkpost at Ghangria in Garhwal's Chamoli District. The holy Sikh pilgrimage site of Hemkund Lake shrine is also accessible from here from May-October. You can access the Bhyundar Valley from Joshimath, just 13km away. Trekking is the only way to enjoy this stunning world with over 3000 species of wildflowers. The valley is also a favoured haunt of birding and butterfly enthusiasts and wilderness aficionados as it is home to the endangered snow leopard, the serow and the Himalayan musk deer. There is no place to stay in the valley, but you can pitch tent near Bhyundar village environs. GETTING THERE Air Nearest airport: Jolly Grant near Dehra Duns just 320km away Rail Nearest railhead: Haridwar and Rishikesh are the nearest railheads Road Off the Rishikesh-Badrinath road, 17 km from Govindghat, 25 km from Badrinath. Trek to the valley from Govindghat.