Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib About 45 km from its source, the Alaknanda is joined by the Bhyundar Ganga at Govindghat, on the Rishikesh-Badrinath route. This is the roadhead for the treks to the Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib. Hemkund is a holy shrine for the Sikhs as Guru Govind Singh is said to have meditated there. Thousands of pilgrims visit the shrine every year.

Frank Smythe mesmerised by the Himalayan Primula at the Valley of Flowers. (Download Realplayer)

Bhyundar Village Credit: Raj Shirole

However, a small fraction of the tourists and pilgrims visit the Valley of Flowers nearby. The Bhyundar Valley was christened by the English mountaineer Frank Smythe when he stumbled upon it while returning from an expedition to Kamet in 1931. He was captivated by its beauty and proceeded to write the book "The Valley of Flowers", which was responsible for making the remote valley a popular destination among nature lovers.

Mules resting at Ghangria Credit: Raj Shirole

From the roadhead at Govindghat, it is a long 14 km trek to Ghangria. Since only day visits are allowed to the valley, Ghangria serves as the base and it is usually filled with people. The trek takes a good six to seven hours and many find the going tough. The scenery however is delightful, with alpine forests all around and the Bhyundar Ganga roaring past you, especially if you visit in the rainy season when the river has maximum water.

From Ghangria the cobble stone path leads up to a bifurcation about half a kilometer from the village. The left fork goes to the Valley of Flowers and the right to Hemkund.

The trail to Hemkund is very steep and rises a few thousand feet in altitude over only 5-6 km. At the top is a lake with crystal clear water. There is a Sikh gurudwara where the pilgrims pay their obeisance. There is plenty of snow and ice in and around the lake as winter sets in.

Approaching the Valley of Flowers Credit: Raj Shirole

After crossing the toll-gate, one finally starts on the delightful walk towards the valley. Since a relatively lesser number of people visit the valley, and horses are not allowed in any more, the trek is more peaceful and enjoyable. The approach to the main valley leads through lovely dense forests of oak, spruce and silver birch.

Read on on the next page