Ghangaria - village in Uttarakhand, India

Ghangaria is a village in Uttarakhand in India.

Get in

To get here one has to travel approx 350 km by road from Rishikesh, which is the nearest railway station, and then trek up a further 21 km.

Get around

Ghangaria is the starting point of the trek to the Valley of Flowers; and the Sikh Pilgrim center of Hemkund. Ghangaria has facilities for transit accommodation where one can get porters and other logistical facilities such as horses. To reach, one has to trek 21 km from the main motorable road. The trekking is not very easy; the area is at an altitude of approximately 10,000 ft.

See

• Hemkund (Hem Kund Saheb), 30.700217°, 79.615983°. This holy lake is located east of Ghangaria at a height of 4339m and can be reached by a trek along the mountain. There is a Sikh temple and a Hindu Lakshman temple near the lake. The lake is surrounded by seven ice cap peaks. A pond is located next to the Sikh temple (gurudwara). All pilgrims take a dip in this. The water here is freezing. It is recommended to start your journey early in the morning from Govind dham (Ghangaria) and trek towards Hemkund Sahib. If one finds trekking difficult, horses can be hired also, with the cost from Ghangaria to Hem Kund approximately ₹500-₹750. However, the horse ride from Ghangaria is rather difficul as the way is just 2.5-3 feet wide and quite steep: it is actually easier to walk.
• Temple of Lord Lakshman, 30.701697°, 79.593587°. A small temple, dedicated to Lord Lakshman (brother of Lord Rama).
• Valley of Flowers National Park, 30.728040°, 79.605303°. An Indian national park, located in West Himalaya known for its meadows of endemic alpine flowers and the variety of flora. This richly diverse area is also home to rare and endangered animals. Birds found in the park include Himalayan Monal Pheasant and other high altitude birds. The gentle landscape of the Valley of Flowers National Park complements the rugged mountain wilderness of Nanda Devi National Park to the east. This is listed in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves since 2004.

Do

Buy

Eat

Drink

Sleep

If you are supposed to arrive at Ghangaria in the evening, then you should get a resort here because there are no arrangements for staying in the park.

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