Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) is a major source of water for the rural and urban centres of the region with four major rivers of the area originating from the glaciers in the Park. It is also a source of sustenance and livelihood for the local community living close to GHNP. In addition to lumber, the forest environment provides local people with Non- Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) such as honey, fruit nuts, bark of birch and yew, flowers and fuel wood.
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.

Creation Of GHNP
It took twenty years from inception to inauguration for GHNP to be realized as part of the Indian National Park system. The initial survey of the watersheds of Tirthan, sainj, Jiwanal in Banjar area of Kullu district took place in the year 1980. In the year 1983 survey continued in the Banjar area of Kullu district. The following year a notification was sent by the state of Himachal Pradesh to create the ‘Great Himalayan National Park’ with buffer zone. Three years later, the first management plan was made. In 1988, Settlement Proceedings and settling of rights of local communities were made. The Himachal Wildlife Project re-assessed wildlife abundance, livestock grazing, and herb collection and reviewed the existing management plan in the year 1992. The Government of HP revised the notification of intention to include the Sainj Wildlife Sanctuary and the upper Parvati watershed two year later. From 1994 to 1999, Conservation of Biodiversity Project (CoB), the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun conducted research to assist in the management of the Park. In 1999, Declaration of Award upon Completion of Settlement Proceedings was announced along with monetary compensation for individuals who had rights of forest produce in the park area, including a package for providing alternative income generation activities to everybody living in the Eco-development Project Area or Eco-zone. The Conservation of Biodiversity (CoB) Project was completed on 31st December, 1999.

Eco-Tourism
Be it Eco-Tourism, eco-development, or participatory forest management, ecologically sustained activities are of supreme importance to the local communities. Eco-Tourism 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
The Great Himalayan National Park offers the casual hiker and serious trekker a wide range of experiences in the natural wonders of the Park. Trails range from relatively easy day walks in the Eco-zone to challenging week or longer treks through arduous and spectacular terrain. GHNP ranks as one of the best national parks in the world and reveals its beauty, diversity, and depth through time spent in exploration.
The Eco-zone is an area adjacent to the Park which contains villages that have historically had some economic dependence on the resources of the land incorporated into the Park. The formal designation of the Park boundaries and the resulting loss of these resources has economically impacted these villages. In recognition of this adverse economic impact, various programs have, and are being, developed by the state government of Himachal Pradesh, NGO's (non-government organizations), and the villagers themselves to create alternative sources of economic well-being. Eco-Tourism, one such program, offers rewards to both the visitor and the villagers and helps protect GHNP.

At GHNP, there are numerous habitats for exploration: from lush forests of oak, conifer, and bamboo, to gentle alpine meadows; from swift flowing rivers to high elevation glaciers. The terrain and geology are diverse. If one is lucky there are opportunities to observe endangered species of the Western Himalayas in their natural habitat.

Climate
The general climate of the Park is quite temperate and the best time for visiting is in Spring (April-May) and Fall (September-October). Summer brings monsoon rains and winter brings colder temperatures and the possibility of dangerous snow storms, especially at higher elevations. Being remote and insulated within the Kullu valley, the Park has its own microclimate. At higher elevations, unexpected thunderstorms can soak the unprepared trekker. Just as quickly, the storm can pass, leaving the sky saturated with azure blue.

BIODIVERSITY
Bounded to the East by the Himalayan Mountains, the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) forms part of the boundary between four ecological zones: (1) the dry deserts of interior Asia and the well-watered lowlands of the Indian plains, (2) the Oriental and Palearctic faunal realms, (3) the high plateau of Tibet and the jumbled Himalayan peaks, and (4) the catchments of the Beas and Sutlej Rivers, both mighty tributaries of the Indus. Because of its complex geography and its great variations in altitude, the limited area of the Park encompasses an enormous range of species, which span the subtropical to the alpine and include those characteristic of the south-east Asian forests as well as those found across Siberia and the Asian steppes.
The Park is the foremost priority for conservation in the North-West Himalayas. Its remote location has thus far spared the Park many of the problems that have affected natural ecosystems elsewhere in India. The occurrence of temperate and alpine ecosystems in a geographically compact area make GHNP the most significant and biggest conservation unit in the Western Himalayas. This status further protects the relatively inaccessible rugged terrain which represents the ecology, geology, and biota characteristic of the North-West Himalayas.
The boundaries of GHNP are contiguous with the Pin Valley National Park in Trans-Himalaya, the Rupi-Bhawa Wildlife Sanctuary in Sutlej watershed, and the Kanawar Wildlife Sanctuary. Together the varied wildlife habitats of these protected areas support the full range of Western Himalayan biodiversity, from tropical to alpine and Tibetan. Thus, the Park is a crucial protected area because it connects other islands of biodiversity. This increases the availability of migration routes between protected areas which is essential for the survival of many animals.
From the roadhead at Gushaini or Neuli, the trails leading to the Park pass through subtropical pine forests. They rise towards the dense coniferous and mixed deciduous woods of the temperate zone, which is entered at about 1800 m. In summer, the spreading canopy of green and silver oaks and horse chestnuts provide welcome relief from the sun. Above this zone, at about 2500 m, cool-temperate forests of fir and spruce occur on northerly slopes, with brown oaks on southerly aspects. Above 3000 m, these forests grade gently into a sub-alpine zone of birches and rhododendrons, diminishing in size as the tree line is approached. Above 3000-3200 m, we find alpine meadows, splashed with a great variety of flowers and higher again is the realm of rock and ice that rules the high peaks and ridges.
Many visitors are drawn to the mountains and the wildlife of the Park. The indigenous culture of the mountain villages, adjacent to the Park, also offers unique experiences for the traveller. Isolated for centuries from the large urban centres, these remote hamlets developed a highly distinctive culture, based on the worship of local deities (devta) which are celebrated in numerous local, regional and national festivals. From the characteristic architecture of the houses and temples, and the folk wood carvings that decorate them, to the silver jewellery and woven wool shawls and blankets, there is a great range of local crafts to see.

Nor should the visitor ignore the clear interdependence of people and environment that is characteristic of traditional lifestyles. Although the high valleys of the Park are remote and support a varied flora and fauna, the signs of traditional use are everywhere. They form an intimate part of the Park's ecology. An understanding of the role that traditional practices (e.g., grazing, burning, and medicinal plant collection) have had on the Park's biota is important before we can fully appreciate the forces that have contributed to development of the ecosystems we see today.

Home > Great Himalayan National Park. 2012. Home > Great Himalayan National Park. [ONLINE] Available at: http://greathimalayannationalpark.com/GHNP_home.htm. [Accessed 18 January 2012