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Great Himalayan National Park
Jawaharlal
Nehru Great Himalayan National Park
Built in the year 1984, the Great Himalayan National park is officially
known as Jawaharlal Nehru Great Himalayan National Park. The park, which
is situated in the Kullu region of Himachal Pradesh spread over an area
of 620sq.km that lies at an altitude of 1500 to 6000m. Overlooked by the
mighty peaks of Himalayas, the Great Himalayan National Park is covered
by snowy mountains, glaciers, river valleys, cliffs and dense forest.
The Great Himalayan National Park is home to more than 375 fauna species
that comprises of around 31 mammals, 181 birds, 3 reptiles, 9
amphibians, 11 annelids, 17 mollusks and 127 insects. They are protected
under strict guidelines of Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 hence
any sort of hunting is not permitted. It also supports great variety of
plant life, scattered all over the park.
Wildlife Attractions of The Park
The park also shelters many great species like wild mountain goats,
sheep, brown and black bears, wolf, flying squirrel and many more
species of distinct variety. The park also houses the most prominent
mammals like leopards, langurs, rhesus macaques and wild sheep like
Himalayan thar, bharal and the ibex. Some of the highly endangered
species like musk deer and snow leopard are also found in the park.
Apart from the animal, it has wide variety of birds including 68
resident species and 50 migrant species. Pheasants, such as the
gloriously beautiful monal, the kaleej and the Western tragopan, are
among its many attractions. Tourists willing to visit the park are
required to get permits from the Park Director, who can be contacted at
Shamsi (Kullu). Tourists are not allowed to drive their vehicles inside
the park and that gives an opportunity to explore the beauty of nature
in an original way. Department of Travel & Tourism provides various
services and facilities to do camping at the site of Great Himalayan
National Park. One of the best ways to remember the journey is through
the photographs, In order to make the journey rememberable tourists can
take photographs inside the park for which one has to pay nominal fee at
the Park office.
There are number of rest houses located inside the park and tourists
are required to book rooms beforehand. Tourists cannot expect much
facilities and services in these rest houses. Besides, there are number
of other private and government accommodations available outside the
Park.
Vegetation Inside The Park
The features that initially attracted and led to the preservation of
this area as Great Himalayan National Park were its enormous
bio-diversity. The vegetation here spreads from deciduous forests of
blue pine and cedar, oak and grass meadows to wild flowers. The Park
presents an endless variety of vegetation from the lofty pines, spruces
and extensively spread horse chestnuts in the lower valleys, to the
dense cushions and prostrate branches of the alpine herbs and junipers.
This could be one area in western Himalayas where the forests and alpine
meadows can be seen in abundance. A nature's splendor, which is present
on the turf of Indian Himalayas, attracts huge number of tourists across
the world.
Best Time to Visit
Winter Between September and November, tourists can
visit the park.
SummerBetween April and June, tourists can visit the
park.
How To Reach
The nearest town is Kullu, which is
located at a distance of 60 km from the Great Himalayan National Park.
While the local bus station has links to most major cities in northern
India, such as Shimla, Chandigarh, Delhi and Ambala. The park is located
on the national highway 21 that leads to Aut near
Manali. Tourists can hire taxi or
take buses to reach the destination. Inside the park, the only form of
transportation available is 'walking' so enjoy the sights of animals
that you come across while on your trip to Great Himalayan National
Park. |
