VALLEY OF FLOWERS, HIMACHAL PRADESH, INDIA

 

ROYLE'S WILLOW-HERB/ EPILOBIUM:

Royle's Willow-Herb is a perennial, erect or ascending herb. Stem-leaves are narrowly ovate to lanceolate, sometimes elliptic or oblong-lanceolate, hairless with faintly hairy margin and midvein, base narrow to rounded, margin densely toothed. Petals are pink to rose-purple. Stigma is round to broadly club-shaped, entire. Capsules are strigillose, glandular. Flower-stalks are long. Seeds are light brown, papillose, with short chalazal collar; coma white, detaching easily. Royle's Willow-Herb is found in the Himalayas, from Afghanistan to Bhutan, at altitudes of 1400-3300 m.

SHOWY INULA/ INULA ORIENTALIS:

This flower was taken at the altitude of 11000ft a part of Distt. Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh, India. The Showy Inula, a member of the Sunflower family, is found at altitudes of 1,800 to 3,600 meters. A postal stamp was issued by the Indian Postal Department to commemorate this flower.

HIMALAYAN WHORLFLOWER/ MORINA LONGIFOLIA:

Himalayan Whorlflower is a beautiful evergreen perennial herb from the Himalayas. It adds charm to theValley of Flowers of Himachal Pradesh, where it grows in abundance. Himalayan Whorlflower is found in the Himalayas, from Kashmir to Bhutan, at altitudes of 3000-4000 m.

ROYLE'S LARKSPUR/ DELPHINIUM ROYLEI:

Royle's Larkspur is a herb with simple stem or with a few branches, densely bristly. Sepals are deep blue. Royle's Larkspur is found in Himalayan region.

HIMALAYAN FLEABANE/ ERIGERON MULTIRADIATUS:

Himalayan fleabane is a beautiful perennial with erect hairy stem. Petals or ray florets are dark purple, long thread like, spreading. The central disk is yellow. 

HIMALAYAN ASTER/ ASTER HIMALAICUS:

Himalayan Aster is a low-growing spreading leafy perennial herb with numerous very narrow lilac ray-florets, and a yellow or purple-brown center. Aster is found on open slopes in Eastern Himalayas, from C. Nepal to Sikkim and SW China, at altitudes of 3600-4500 m. 

CREEPING ASTER/ ASTER DIPLOSTEPHIOIDES:

Creeping aster is a neat clump forming plant producing large lilac mauve flowers. This is a low growing aster, and almost creeps. It has lance like leaves. Ray florets are lilac, very long and narrow, somewhat bending backwards. The central disk is first blackish, then orange.

FADING HIMALAYAN ASTER/ ASTER ALBESCENS:

Fading Himalayan Aster is a rambling shrub with rather large lanceshaped pointed leaves, and with numerous small flower-heads with prominent lilac ray-florets,borne in flat-topped clusters. Fading Himalayan Aster is found in the Himalayas, from Kashmir to SW China and Myanmar, at altitudes of 2100-3600 m.

HIMALAYAN BOG STAR/ PARNASSIA NUBICOLA:

Himalayan Bog Star is a perennial herb easily distinguished by its solitary white flower borne on a slender stem, with a single stalkless, stem-clasping ovate leaf arising from below the middle of the stem, and many many stalked leaves at the base.Himalayan Bog Star is found in the Himalayas, from Afghanistan to SE Tibet, at altitudes of 2900-4300 m.

PURPLE JERUSALEM SAGE/ PHLOMIS BRACTEOSA: 

Purple Jerusalem Sage is an erect hairy perennial. Leaves are heart-shaped, toothed and have stalks. Each leaf pair occurs at right angles to the next. Pink-purple flowers appear in few large whorls in an interrupted spike. All parts are covered with hairs.

ALPINE FORGET ME NOT/ MYOSOTIS ALPESTRIS: 

This small blue flower, with a yellow eye, is the charming forget me not flower, and is quite a common wildflower in the Himalayas.The name "Forget-me-not" was borrowed from Old French "ne m'oubliez pas" and first used in English in 1532. In the 15th century Germany, it was supposed that the wearers of the flower will not be forgotten by their lovers. This is a flower connected with romance and tragic fate. It was often worn by ladies as a sign of faithfulness and enduring love.True Blue. Alpine Forget-Me-Not is found in the Himalayas, from Pakistan to Bhutan, at altitudes of 3000-4300 m.

TRAILING BELLFLOWER /CYANANTHUS LOBATUS: 

Trailing Bellflower is a perennial herb with bright blue-purple flowers with a prominent sepal tube covered with black hairs. Flowers are hairy in the throat. Trailing Bellflower is found in the Himalayas, from Himachal Pradesh to SW China, at altitudes of 3300-4500 m. 

DIVERSE LEAVED SENECIO /SENECIO RAPHANIFOLIUS:    

Diverse Leaved Senecio is a perennial. The lower leaves are divided pinnately, rounded terminally. Beautiful yellow flowers appear in compound-corymb shaped heads. Flowers are shaped like Cinerarias, which belong to Senecio genus too. However, the central dark-brown disk is larger than the "petals" or the ray florets. The ray florets themselves are yellow, elliptic, grooved and notched at the tip. Light and cool tendency, tolerant to wetness. Found on the grassy slopes of the Himalayas at altitudes of 2300-3900 m. The older name Senecio diversifolius has been changed to Secencio raphanifolius. The species name raphanifolia means fast appearing leaves. 

CLASPING-LEAF BALSAM/ IMPATIENS AMPLEXICAULIS:

Clasping-Leaf Balsam is an annual herb. Stem is square in cross-section, with glands at nodes, hairless, simple or few branched. Leaves are opposite in lower part of stem, alternate in upper part of stem, stalkless. Leaf blade is oblong or oblong-lanceshaped base rounded or cordate, stem-clasping, with globose glands, margin saw-toothed throughout, teeth mucronulate, tip long-pointed. Flowers are borne in umbel or raceme-like. Lower sepal is obliquely sack-like, abruptly narrowed into an incurved short spur. Upper petal is nearly circular, tip is rostellate. Capsule is subcylindric. Seeds black-brown, obovoid. Clasping-Leaf Balsam is found in the Himalaya at altitudes of 2700-3200 m.

JADWAR/JUDWAR/ NIRBISHI/ NIRBISI/ NIRVISI / DELPHINIUM DENUDATUM:   

Jadwar is critically endangered Himalayan herb, which was once commonest species. It is distinguished by its relatively small blue or violet flowers, borne in a widely branched inflorescence with a few spike-like clusters. Upper inner petals are white, the others blue. Jadwar is found in the Himalayas, from Pakistan to C. Nepal, at altitudes of 1500-2700 m. Medicinal uses:  It is one of the important drugs used as indigenous medicine in India, especially in Unani medicine. The roots of the plant are reported to be useful in a variety of ailments such as aconite poisoning, brain diseases, fungal infection, piles and toothache as analgesic and astringent.

PAIRED FLOWER LOUSEWORT /PEDICULARIS PORRECTA:    

Paired Flower Lousewort is a perennial characterized by lax flower spikes or heads, having 2 flowers each. Flowers are reddish purple, Bracts are leaf-like, broadly ovate, with short broad petioles, as long as the calyx. Paired Flower Lousewort is found on open grassy slopes, in close turfs, in grassy hollows on open hillsides in the Himalayas, from Chamba to C Nepal and S Tibet, at altitudes of 3600-4500 m.

VIOLET DANDELION/ CICERBITA MACRORHIZA:

Beautiful violet flowers look like dandelions. A perennial plant with thick woody root-stock, and tufted, branched, prostrate stems. Leaves are variable, pinnately lobed, again like dandelions. Lobes usually rounded. Flower heads mauve blue, often drooping, in branched terminal domed clusters. Violet Dandelion is found at the altitudes of 3300-4300 m.

HIMALAYAN DAISY / CREMANTHODIUM ARNICOIDE:

Himalayan Daisy is an eye-catching wild-flower with yellow daisy-like flower-with a dark central disk. The species name arnicoides means resembling Arnica flowers. Nodding flower-heads are borne several, in a spike-like cluster.  Bracts at the base of the flower-head are elliptic pointed, fused at their bases. Basal leaves are carried on long, winged stalks, and are up to a foot long, ovate-oblong, coarsely toothed. Stem leaves are progressively smaller, more pointed, and stem-clasping. Himalayan Daisy is found in the Himalayas, from Pakistan to SW China, at altitudes of 3300-4800 m. 

ERECT CATMINT / NEPETA ERECTA:

Erect Catmint is a wildflower found in the forests and open slopes of the Himalayas, at altitudes of 2100-3600 m. Flowers are large, blue to blue-purple, with a curved flower-tube much enlarged at the mouth and with a large lower lip, borne in separated whorls. The whorls are subtended by longer leaves. 

HORNED LOUSEWORT, LOUSEWORT/ PEDICULARIS: 

Horned Lousewort, the curious species, inhabits tough and sometimes inaccessible areas of the Himalayan cold deserts. The plants are tough and sturdy and the corolla of these flowers are closed in a ball-like fashion to cover the delicate vital parts such as stamens and stigma from the outside pressures. The flowers have interesting cultural use in certain Himalayan areas. The flowers are considered an integral offering to please Goddess Kali and get one's wishes fulfilled. Further, no religious ceremony is considered to be complete without the offering of these flowers in the first prayers. The women also make garlands from the flowers to greet each other on important religious occasions and to garland Goddess Kali during festivals. Flower tube is narrow and hairy. The upper lip of the flower is s-shaped or spirally curved with slender two-lobed beak.

If misidentified any, Pls write here.

Copy Right: Dr Lalit Mohan
Dr Lalit mohan acknowledge http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/himalayan.html

BIRDS OF HIMALAYA:

                                   STREAKED ROSE FINCH (M): 

I have taken this photograph at the altitude of 4000m/13120ft, Near Pindari Glacier, Uttrakhand, India.       

SNOW PARTRIDGE:           HIMALAYAN GRIFFIN:

SNOW PARTRIDGE: I have taken this Photograph at the altitude of 4600m/15100ft near Pindari Glacier, Uttrakhand, India.

HIMALAYAN GRIFFIN: I have taken this Photograph at the altitude of 2800m/ 9200ft near Narkanda Shimla,India.            
                                                       

 DARK BREASTED ROSE FINCH (M & F)

I have taken these Photographs at the altitude of 4000m/13200ft near Pindari Glacier, Uttrakahnd, India.                                                     

                                                                                                            

BLUE FRONTED REDSTART (M & F) 

I have taken these Photographs at the altitude of 3900m/12800ft near Pindari Glacier, Uttrakhand, India.                                                                         

           COMMON MOORHEN:

I have taken this photograph at the altitude of 5300m/ 17400ft East Kamet Glacier, Uttrakhand, India. This is probably the highest attitudinal record for this specie. Earlier it was recorded in Nepal at 4575m/15000ft.

GRANDALA (F & M)

I have taken these Photographs at the altitude of 4650m/15250ft near Pindari Glacier, Uttrakhand, India. 

BROWN ROCK CHAT:         WHITE WAGTAIL:

BROWN ROCK CHAT: I have taken this Photograph at the altitude of 3500m/ 11500ft at Milam Village, Uttrakhand, India.

WHITE WAGTAIL:I have taken this Photograph at the altitude of 5200m/17000ft East Kamet Glacier, Uttrakhand, India.                                                           

WHITE CAPED WATER RED START:                  WINTER WREN:

WHITE CAPED WATER REDSTART: I have taken this Photograph at the altitude of 3900m/12800ft near Pindari Glacier Uttrakahnd, India.  

WINTER WREN: I have taken this Photograph at the altitude of 4000m/13120ft near Pindari Glacier, Uttrakhand, India.                                                                                     

YELLOW BILLED CHOUGH: 

I have taken this photograph at the altitude of 4700m/ 15420ft, Vasudhara Tal, Garhwal Himalaya, Uttrakhand, India.

Copy Right: Dr Lalit Mohan

ENDANGERED HIMALAYAN HERBS:

Dactylorhiza Hatagirea: This species is used in various Indian medicine system, that is, Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani, and also, in some traditional medicinal systems, that is, Amchi medicinal system. It is widely used to cure dysentery, diarrhoea, chronic fever, cough, stomachache, wounds, cuts, burns, fractures and general weakness, particularly in debilitated women after delivery and to increase regenerative fluids. Hatagirea are rich in starch, mucilage, sugar, phosphate, chloride and glucoside-loroglossin.Hatagirea has been categorised as critically endangered species (CAMP status), critically rare (IUCN status) and is listed under Appendix II of CITES. 

Intermediate Habenaria: Intermediate Habenaria is a very beautiful orchid found in the Himalaya. Although the species is listed as endangered, there is no management plan for conservation due to the lack of related information. The government has imposed a ban on collection of a majority of threatened species but it has failed to check illegal exploitation. Orchids are subject to a high level of threat, through both natural and anthropogenic causes.

Himalayan Arnebia: The plant has antiseptic antibacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as wound healing ones. In traditional medicine systems it is used as a stimulant, diuretic and expectorant as well as for throat and tongue problems. It is used in a medicine Gule Kahzaban which is for heart diseases and is expensive. It is also used in other herbal preparations for cardiac troubles.

River Beauty, Dwarf Fireweed (Epilobium latifolium): The entire plant is used in Tibetan medicine, it is said to have a bitter taste and a cooling potency. Analgesic, antidote, anti-inflammatory, antipruritic, antirheumatic and febrifuge, it is used in the treatment of fevers, inflammations and itching pimples.

Musk Larkspur: This species act as cardic and respiratory depressant.All the species of Delphinium are poisonous; fine use of indigenous medicine for destroying maggots in wounds, particularly in sheep.

Copy Right: Dr Lalit Mohan
Dr Lalit mohan acknowledge http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/himalayan.html

LUNAR ECLIPSE: HINDU MYTH

                                                             (1st stage of Lunar Eclipse)

A Lunar Eclipse can occur only at full moon. A total Lunar Eclipse can happen only when the Sun, Earth and Moon are perfectly lined up. 

                                                       (2nd stage of Lunar Eclipse)

In Hindu mythology , Eclipse is considered inauspicious and to be a powerful day for paranormal practices by Tantrics. It is believed that the evil forces are appeased on these occasions. Astrologically a Eclipse is associated with Grahas (Rahu & Ketu). There are nine Grahas: Surya, Chandra, Mangla, Budha, Guru, Shukra, Shani, Rahu & Ketu. 

                                                           (3rd stage of Lunar Eclipse)

The last two planets/Graha Rahu & Ketu became enemy of Sun and Moon. The story behind the enmity was a consequence of a fight for nectar (Amruth) between the gods and demons. When the nectar was churned from the ocean was being served to the gods, a demon disguised as a god, drunk the drank the nectar sitting among the Gods. 

                                                               (4th stage of Lunar Eclipse)
The Sun & Moon who came to know about this disguised demon, told the fact to Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu in anger severed the head of the demon, but the demon who had already tasted the nectar, became immortal. The demon was in the form of Snake. The hood part of the Snake is known as Rahu and the tail is known as Ketu. 

                                                            (5th stage of Lunar Eclipse)
Since then Rahu & Ketu vowed that they would revenge the Sun and Moon by swallowing then whenever they came near to them. This swallowing of Sun and Moon is Called Grahanam in Sanskrit which is either solar or lunar Eclipse.

                                                        (6th stage of Lunar Eclipse)

The great Indian astrologer Varahamihira, one of the Navaratnas (Nine Jewels) of Emperor Vikramaditya's court, in the 5th century AD has given the details about shifting of the equinox is 50.32 seconds in his book Pancha Siddhantas (Five Astronomical Canons). 

                                                        (7th & Final stage of Lunar Eclipse)

Copy Right: Dr Lalit Mohan

Dr Lalit mohan acknowledgehttp://ww.itimes.com/blog/eclipse-mythological-myths-and-scientific-facts

KULLU DUSSEHRA : AN INTERNATIONAL FEST:

Kullu Dussehra is however, different in certain ways from Dussehra celebrations in the other parts of the country. It presents cultural ethos of the people and their deep rooted religious beliefs which manifest during this festival with traditional songs, dances and colorful dress. It begins on Vijya Dashmi and lasts for a week. During the festival more then 250 idols from all over the kullu valley and adjoining Mandi district, make their way from local village temples to pay obeisance to Lord Raghunatha, the presiding deity of Kullu Dussehra. This year the festival will be celebrated from Oct. 4, 2014 to Oct. 10, 2014.

The beginning of Dussehra in Kullu dates back to the regime of Raja Jagat Singh who ruled Kullu from 1637 to 1672. It all started back in 1637 A. D. when Raja Jagat Singh was the ruler of the Valley. One day he came to know that a peasant Durga Dutt of village Tipri owned beautiful pearls, which the Raja wanted to obtain. Durga Dutt tried to convince the Raja by all means that the information was wrong and that he owned no pearls, but all his pleas were in vain. The Raja gave him a last chance. Durga Dutt got so scared that he burnt down his own family and house and cursed the Raja for his cruelty.  Sitting by its side, he cut his flesh with a sharp blade at every leap of the fire and vowdily cursed the Raja for his unjurt demand by saying "Have the pearls, O' Raja". 

After a laps of sometimes it so happened that the Raja was haunted by the spirit of the innocent Brahmin family, stung by the qualms of the conscience, he felt every moment the painful and tearing pinch of the strings and arrows of the deadly sin committed by him. Under guilt conscious and hallucination he used to see crawling worms in place of rice and human blood in place of water in the tumbler. The Raja did whatever he could do but of no avail. The news of his illness spread throughout his kingdom and all possible means of curing his disease were explored by his courtiers, prominent hakims, vaids and religious persons saints etc. But nothing could stop Raja's hallucinations. At last a Bairagi named Krishan Dutt (Pahari Baba) offered his counsel that no medicine can be effective to cure the Raja except the blessign of lord Rama.

In this direction he further suggested that the Raja should take charanamrit of an idol of lord Rama. This idea struck sound in the mind of the Raja and further efforts were made to procure a holy idol from Ayodhya. His efforts succeeded in procuring a genuine idol from Ayodhya. For this work a disciple of Bairagi Krishan Dutt name Damodar Dass was selected and deputed for this purpose. Damodar Dass had attained miraculous power known as 'Gutka Sidhi'. Through this miraculous power he was able to procure the rare piece of Rama's idol alongwith Pujari from 'Tret Nath' Temple of Ayodhya in 1651 AD which was installed in Raghunathjee's temple at Sultanpur Kullu by obersving all the rituals suggested by the learned priests of that time. It may be of interest to record here that a special class of priests were brought from Ayodhya to conduct the rituals and their descendants still continue to keep-up the tradition.

On the first day when the Dussehra fair begins, the idol of Raghunth ji saddled in a gaily attired Rath is pulled from its fixed place in Dhalpur Maidan, to another spot across the maidan by big ropes by the local people. The village gods more than one hundred in number mounted in colorful plaquine attend this fair. There after for seven days the fair goes on. 

On the 6th day, the assembly of Devtas takes place. All the village gods attending the fair with their followers and band of musicinas participate in the assembly. It is an impressive and rare scene to witness. Devtas sitting together in colorful attires round the camp of Raghunathji. On the concluding day, the Rath is again pulled near to the bank of the river Beas, where a pile of thorn bushes is set on fire that symbolises the burning of Lanka. Some animals are sacrified and Rath is brought back in a procession to its original place. Raghunathji is carried back to his temple at Sultanpur. The attending gods disperse and so the people. 

Copy Right: Dr Lalit Mohan

Dr Lalit mohan acknowledgehttp://hpkullu.nic.in

TUTELARY DEITY OF THE ERSTWHILE CAPITAL OF KULLU, NAGGAR, HP.

Goddess Tripura is the tutelary deity or ‘Ishta Devi’ in the area. People in the region have faith that it’s Goddess who protects and will always protect them from harms, inner or outer. It’s a common belief in the region that Naggar Village in Kullu valley was inhabited at Divine Will of the Goddess.

Tripura Sundari temple is an old shrine situated in Naggar, Distt. Kullu of Himachal Pradesh located at the altitude of 1900M/6250ft This was constructed by Raja Yashodhapal of Kullu. The temple is a three-storey structure, probably one of the best examples of pagoda style of architecture in Himachal Pradesh. This historic temples in Naggar are built in Pagoda and Shikhara architectural styles. 

There are the stone idols of Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu Lord Ganesha, Goddess Lakshmi, and Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati inside the temple. A small idol of Tripura Rakshasa (demon) is also there in the temple. A fair is organized in the honor of Tripura Devi here in May every year.

The temple stands as a massive wooden structure, exhibiting the local architecture and art of carving. The architectural design and style of Tripura Sundari temple is inspired by the Hadimba Devi temple in Manali, one of the best examples of pagoda style in India. An ancient belief associated with the temple suggests that it was built by the Goddess herself, after she turned into a spider and this is why it has the shape of a web. 

Tripura Devi visits the local territories when out on her periodical sojourn and reaches Kullu. The worshippers carry her idol in a well decorated palanquin along with their conventional musical instruments. On the way, the palanquin of the goddess is greeted by people who receive rice as a token of her blessings and protection.

Copy Right: Dr Lalit Mohan
Dr Lalit mohan acknowledge http://theoktravel.com/temple-of-tripura-sundari-supreme-hindu-goddess-in-the-erstwhile-capital-of-kullu-naggar/2224/ and reference therein for text material.