|
Great Himalayan National Park
Location: 50 km from Kullu, Himachal Pradesh
Area: 754 sq. km.
Major Wildlife Attractions: Tragopan, Tahr, Snow Leopard
Best time to visit: April-May
Places to Stay: Dormitories (Sai Ropa Tourist Centre)
About Great Himalayan National Park
The great Himalayas have always been
a fascination for people around the world and the Great Himalayan
National Park is no different. Situated in the Kullu district of
Himachal Pradesh, the biodiversity of the park has made it a perfect
habitat for some of the most exotic species of flora and fauna found
anywhere in the world.
The park and the area around offers a plethora of options for the
tourists including bird watching, wildlife viewing, religious
pilgrimage, cultural tours etc. The park also has several tourist
facilities in the shape of a tourist centre at Sai Ropa and an
information centre at Larjee.
While the park remains open throughout the year, the months of April &
May is the best time to visit as during that time the snow melts and
the conditions are ideal for walking and trekking. Winter is the only
time when you stand an excellent chance to spot rare animals like the
Nilgiri Tahr and the Snow Leopard in the lower reaches of the park.
Most of the areas of the park have remained unexplored because of the
sheer difficulty of the train, which lend the place a unique thrill
and rawness that few other parks in the country can offer. Trekking in
the park is no easy task and requires a person to be in shape. It is
better to do some prior preparation in the form of things to carry,
which include basic trekking equipment such as tents, sleeping bags
etc.
Wildlife Attractions in
Great Himalayan National Park
The Great Himalayan National Park is home to more than 350 species of
fauna including 31 mammals, 203 birds, 3 reptiles, 9 amphibians and
127 insects.
Besides the rarely seen Tahr and the highly endangered Snow Leopard,
other animals which can be spotted around in the park include Serow,
Ghoral, Bharal, Brown Bear, Musk Deer and Red Fox. If you hear a roar
you might have come across a leopard or the highly endangered and very
rarely seen Snow Leopard, even though these white creatures can not
give a loud growl because of their weak vocal tissues. A host of other
smaller mammals can also be seen which include the Great Indian Flying
Squirrel and the Indian Pika.
Besides animals, the place is also home to some of the very rare bird
species including the Monal, Koklass and the Western Tragopan.
Best Time to Visit Great Himalayan National Park
The best visiting season of Great Himalayan National Park is from
April-May but the park remains open throughout the year.
How to Get there
Air: Bhuntar near Kullu is the nearest airport. Not many
flights are available so it is better to take the train to Chandigarh
and hire a taxi from there. Jagson Airlines operates a
Delhi-Kullu-Dharamsala-Kullu-Delhi service on Tuesday, Thursday and
Saturday, which takes off from Delhi at 7:15. Another service between
Delhi-Shimla-Kullu-Shimla-Delhi on Monday, Wednesday and Friday takes
off from Delhi at 7:15.
Rail: Chandigarh is the nearest railhead, connected by daily
trains from Delhi, Paschim Exp. (9:40) & HWH DLI KLK mail (22:20).
Other trains are Mumbai-Chandigarh Paschim Exp. (11:35) &
Chennai-Chandigarh Dehradun Exp. (8:30, Thu)
Road: To reach by road from Delhi, take the national highway
no.1 to Chandigarh via Karnal and Ambala. From there turn to NH21
towards Aut via Bilaspur and Mandi. A state road from here will take
you to Gushaini via Larji and Banjar. |
