Nanda Devi And Valley Of Flowers National Park

Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Park is famous for meadows, outstanding natural beauty, and alpine flowers.

It also houses a few endangered animals. The endangered animals found here are the Snow leopard, the Asiatic black bear, brown bear, and blue sheep.

The Park is India's 2nd highest mountain (7816 m in height), which is approachable through the Rishi Ganga Gorge, one of the deepest in the world.

It has spectacular scenic beauty, full of beautiful flowers, Biodiversity of this National Park is unique. The Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks are well protected due to their remoteness.

Until 1930 this area was unexplored. but since 1983 community-based eco-tourism started in a well-regulated way. So, both the parks are the relatively less disturbed habitats of flora and fauna.

A number of the medicinal plant are found here. Moreover, the entire area of Nanda Devi Biosphere lies in the West Himalaya Endemic Bird Area(EBA). At least seven species of endemic birds are found in this Park.

There is no livestock grazing inside the park. The Uttarakhand State Forest Department regularly monitors the limited entry and exit routes that provide access to these parks.

The Adventure activities and mountaineering in these parks are banned since 1983 due to garbage accumulation and environmental degradation by these activities.

Since 1993, every 10 years flora, fauna, and their habitats inside the parks are surveyed and studied scientifically.

The Nanda Devi Temple, one of the sacred sites in the Almora district of Uttarakhand state of Kumaon region, has special religious significance. The incarnation of "Goddess Durga" sits in this temple. Situated at an elevation of 7816 meters above sea level, dedicated to Maa Nanda Devi, the "Isht Devi" of the Chand dynasty.

Nanda Devi is the incarnation of Mother Durga and the consort of Lord Shankar and is worshiped as the main goddess of the mountainous region. Many Hindus visit this temple as a religious form of pilgrimage as Nanda Devi is considered the destroyer of evil and the wanderer of Kumon.

Its history is more than 1000 years old. The stone crown and the stonework on the walls add to the beauty of this temple. Evidence of worship of Nanda from ancient times is found in religious texts, Upanishads, and Puranas. Nanda Devi is described as one of the Nav Durga.