| Weekend Getaways | Services |
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| Accommodation | ||||
| State | Haryana |
| City | Near Gurgaon |
| Airports | Delhi |
| Distance from City Centre | 46 km |
| Railway Junctions | Delhi |
| Local Languages | Hindi |
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The unique ecological aspects of the Western Himalaya led to the creation of the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) in the Kullu district of India's mountain state of Himachal Pradesh. These features include biodiversity, sparse human populations, inaccessibility, little tourism, and a local economy based on traditional livelihoods.
About the Park Eco Tourism - Be it EcoTourism, eco-development, or participatory forest management, ecologically sustained activities are of supreme importance to the local communities. This module is an overview of trekking, an EcoTourism activity of the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP). EcoTourism is nature friendly, sustainable, involves environmental education, and provides an alternative source of income for communities living close to the Park. Visitors coming to GHNP have the rare opportunity to experience the Park's pristine beauty and at the same time help villagers to improve their livelihood options.
Community - The Kullu Valley has always attracted people with its
beauty and resources. Its isolation also provided a safe refuge from the
turmoil and wars on the Indian plains below. Historical records indicate
that people started migrating into the valley about 1,000 years ago. For
the last 800 years the migration of people did not place an undue burden
on the natural resources. People lived in relative harmony with their
environment and sustained their livelihoods. Conservation - The concept of environmental conservation in the Kullu Valley has very early origins. The present day names of many places in this valley owe their origin to the names of saints who came here to meditate in the great sanctuary of Himalayas. Some of these sanctuaries are still preserved as sacred groves. The local villagers recognize that certain trees, groves, and forests have special attributes. These areas were always protected from exploitation. However, the increasing pressures of colonization in the 18th and 19th centuries for commercial exploitation of forests raised concerns that certain state-oriented conservation efforts were needed. Since Indian independence in 1947, environmental pressures have steadily increased in the Kullu Valley.
Education - The Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) and the
adjacent Sainj and Tirthan Wildlife Sanctuaries, represents a
significant area (1,171 sq. km) that will be untouched by modern day
development and exploitation. The Park ensures a unique protected area
for both appreciation and study. The region contains a wide range of
habitats that represent and support the Western Himalaya's large and
varied ecosystems. GHNP is an investment in the physical, mental, and
spiritual well being of the Indian people as well as visitors from
abroad.
By Road from Delhi
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Great
Himalayan National Park -
The Himalayas have been a
source of awe and inspiration for millennia to countless individuals.
They are the largest, tallest and geologically youngest mountains on our
planet. In India, they are the Dehvbumi--the home of the gods. The
Himalaya are also one of the most fragile mountain regions of the world
and hold an enormous repository of biological diversity which is
increasingly under pressure from human activities. 
In
1980, the Himachal Wildlife Project (HWP) surveyed the upper Beas region
to help establish the boundaries of the park. An area comprising the
watersheds of Jiwa, Sainj, and Tirthan rivers became the Great Himalayan
National Park in 1984. Starting from an altitude of 1,700 metres above
mean sea level, the highest peak within the Park approaches almost 5,800
metres. The area of the National Park at the moment is 754.4 sq kms and
it is naturally protected on the northern, eastern and southern
boundaries by permanent snow or steep ridges. To facilitate conservation
a 5 km wide buffer area, extending from the western periphery of the
Park, has been classified as theEcodevelopment Project Area (EPA) or
Ecozone. The EPA has an area of 326.6 sq km (including 61 sq kms of
Tirthan wildlife sanctuary) with about 120 small villages, comprising
1600 households with a population of about 16,000. Since, the Indian
Wildlife Protection Act 1972 does not permit any habitation in the
National Park, an area of 90 sq. kms. in Sainj valley encompassing the
two villages of Shakti and Marore has been classified as Sainj Wildlife
Sanctuary (WLS). These two villages although technically "outside" the
National Park, are physically located between two parts of GHNP. Thus
the total area under the National Park administration is 1,171 sq km.
