“Wild Floral Parks”, around the world, have the least attention
of the “Flora Fauna Ethusiasts” for the the Amateur Radio
activity. In India, we have hardly a few Wild Floral Parks, in the
valleys between mountains of the Himalayan chain, apart from the most
famous Valley of Flowers. The word “Wild” here is used in the
context that there is NO human intervention in the maintenance,
upkeep . But, there are many seasonal floral parks built and
maintained by man, in other parts of India.
1. “The
Valley of Flowers” of the Garhwal
Himalayas, is listed in VUFF, WWFF directories., as
VUFF-0093. (no
activation so far)
It has its
territory extending to the Nanda Devi National Park/ Biosphere
Reserve VUFF-0061 ( no
activation so far). In 1931, Frank S. Smythe, Eric
Shipton and R.L. Holdsworth, all British mountaineers, lost their way
while returning from a successful expedition to Mt.Kamet and happened
upon the valley, which was full of flowers. They were attracted to
the beauty of the area and named it the "Valley of Flowers."
Frank Smythe later authored a book of the same name. In 1939, Joan
Margaret Legge,(21 February 1885 – 4 July 1939) a botanist deputed
by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, arrived at the valley to study
flowers and while traversing some rocky slopes to collect flowers,
she slipped off and lost her life. Her sister later visited the
valley and erected a memorial near the spot. The valley was declared
a national park in 1982 and now it is a World Heritage Site.
It is located in the
northern part of Chamoli District of Uttarakhand, the heights varying
from 3300 to 3660 m., full of alpine flowers in their best blooming
period, from mid July to mid August,though the season starts in end
of May to mid October. From about October to June, the area is snow
bound, with no access. . Apart from flowers, there are black and
brown bear, snow leopard, musk deer, red fox and blue sheep. Among
the birds, the Himalayan monal pheasant and others which thrive in
high altitudes. The area encompassed is about 87.5 sq.km. You have
to trek from Govind Ghat and stay just short of the valley, at
Bhuyinder. You have accommodation booked in advance, at Ghangaria
or Bhuyinder. Contacting and planning with the Government travel
organisation called GMVN, can do all the arrangements.
2. The Yumthang
Valley or Sikkim Valley of Flowers Sanctuary, is a
nature sanctuary with river, hot springs, yaks and grazing pasture on
rolling meadows surrounded by the Himalayan mountains in the North
Sikkim district of Sikkim state in India. It is at an elevation of
3,564 metres (11,693 ft) above msl at a distance of 150
kilometres (93 mi) from the state capital Gangtok. It is also
known as 'Valley of Flowers' and it covers the Shingba Rhododendron
Sanctuary,
The Shingba
Rhododendron Sanctuary, has over twenty-four species of the
rhododendron, the state flower. The flowering season is from late
February and to mid June, when countless flowers bloom . A tributary
of the river Teesta flows past the valley and the town of Lachung,
the nearest inhabited centre. Yumthang is closed between December and
March due to heavy snowfall. There is also a hot spring in the
valley.
A forest rest house
is the only permanent residence in the valley. During the spring,
the area blooms with rhododendrons, primulas, poppies, iris and other
flora. During the summer months, villagers take their cattle to these
heights to graze. In view of increasing number of tourists, there is
possibility of environmental degradation in near future. Skiing is
conducted in the valley. Tourists may travel from Gangtok to Lachung
( village where accommodation is available) by booking a full vehicle
or shared one and stay over night. A direct journey to Yumthang is
not feasible as roads are commonly foggy and it becomes dark very
early around 5:30 pm. A trip to the Valley takes around two hours
from Lachung, which is about 125 km from Gangtok.
3. Kaas Plateau aka "Kaas Pathar" , is a plateau situated 25 kilometres west from Satara
city in Maharashtra, India. It falls under the Sahyadri Sub Cluster
of the Western Ghats, and it became a part of a UNESCO World Natural
Heritage Site in 2012. It has
Herbaceous marshy flora.. During
monsoon season, especially in the month of August, the plateau comes
to life, with picturesque view of various types flowers that carpet
the floor of the plateau. Forest Department’s Board at Kas
Plateau, puts,
there are more than 150 types of flowers, shrubs and grasses found
here.!
The entry Fee charge
is Rs. 100/- No entry fees Children below age 12yr. No entry fees for
Senior citizen ( age above 65 yrs ) please carry your age proof ID.
Note:Only 3000 visitors per day will be allowed to visit. Parking
Free. ST Bus Service available from Parking place to Kas plateau and
from plateau to Parking place @ Rs.10/- per person from parking &
Rs.10/- per person from plateau. Guide Charges Rs 100/-. Free Entry
for working soldiers and Ex-soldiers with spouse. Booking
a private vehicle from Satara to Kas is
ideal because
the stretch is incredibly beautiful and you will definitely want to
stop on the way, multiple number of times.
(https://www.kas.ind.in/)
Contact: Kas Pathar
Office - 9405830941 , 7350038252
Read
more at:
https://www.nativeplanet.com/travel-guide/5-enchanting-flower-valleys-india/articlecontent-pf13048-001728.html
4. Dzukou
Valley in Manipur-Nagaland border, is famous for the rare variety of flower called
Dzukou Lily (Lilium mackliniae ) , found only in this valley, discovered in 1991 by Hijam Bikramjit of the Life Sciences Department, Manipur University. The valley is at about 2500m MSL.. Best period to visit Dzukou
Valley during the months of June to September, it is the time when
the numerous, colourful wildflowers are dotting the already
incredible landscape of the Dzukou Valley.
Read more at:
https://www.nativeplanet.com/travel-guide/5-enchanting-flower-valleys-india/articlecontent-pf13048-001728.html
5. Kurinjimala
Sanctuary: “Neelakurinji's mass blooming is a kind of
reproductive mega big bang,” says Jomy Augustine, head of the
botany department at St. Thomas College in Palai, Kerala. “It
spends all its energy for the success of flowering and fruiting. If
anything happens to the ecology of the Western Ghats, it affects
reproduction and thereby the future of Strobilanthes diversity.”
Strobilanthes kunthianus creates a purple sheen over a hillside. In
addition to Kurinji, 20 other species are blooming this year,
presenting flowers in shades from white to a lavender blue to a deep
brown.
Most of the
Strobilanthus species have an unusual flowering behaviour varying
from an annual to 16- year blooming cycles. Characteristics include
gregarious flowering, mass seeding and synchronised monocarpy (the
characteristic character of certain plants which flower once in their
lifetime and die after fruiting). Some Kurinji plants bloom once in
every seven years and then die. Their seeds sprout subsequently and
continue the cycle of life before they die eventually. Strobilanthus
kunthianus and other species, that are long interval bloomers, are
known as “Plietesials” . Strobilanthus kunthianus blossoms only
once in 12 years. The blooming of this plant has been documented in
1838, 1850, 1862, 1874, 1886, 1898, 1910, 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958,
1970, 1982, 1994, 2006 and 2018.
Honey bees act as
pollinators of Neelakurinji. The nectar collected by honey bees from
these flowers is found to be very tasty, nutritious and has medicinal
values.
There is a
sanctuary in Kottakamboor and Vattavada villages of Idukki district
specially meant for conserving Kurinji called “Kurinjimala
Sanctuary”.
Kurinji has long
featured in the culture of South India, especially the modern-day
states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. In the ancient Sangam literature of
Tamilakam or Tamil Country, land was classified into five types. They
are Kurinji (mountainous), Mullai (forested), Marutham
(agricultural), Neithal (coastal) and Paalai (desert). Tamil scholars
opine that this classification was based on the most characteristic
plants of these ecosystems: Strobilanthus kunthianus (Kurinji),
Jasminum auriculatum (Mullai), Nymphaea nouchali (Neithal) and
Wrightia tinctoria (Paalai). The mountainous landscape, referred to
as Kurinji, abounded with Kurinji flowers.
Kurinji used to
grow abundantly in the Nilgiri Hills (part of the Western Ghats) in
Tamil Nadu. The brilliant blue colour of Kurinji has given the hills
the name “Nilgiri”, literally meaning “Blue Mountains”. But
presently, plantations and buildings have occupied the hills. In
Kerala, the Anamalai Hills of Idukki district, the Agali Hills of
Palakkad district and the Eravikulam National Park (VUFF-0019) ( no activation so far) of
Munnar (all in the Western Ghats) also have this plant. Kurinji is
also found in the Yercaud- Shevaroy Hills of the Eastern Ghats in
Tamil Nadu and in the Bellary district of Karnataka.
As Neelakurinji or
Strobilanthus kunthianus occurs in grassland and shola forests, at an
altitude of 1,300 to 2,400 metres, it is very essential to maintain
and improve the ecosystem without any further degradation and
depletion.
