Visiting the ski slopes of Auli - The Flora

The Flora

The trees and plants one sees above 10,000 feet surprise you with their sturdiness. The trees look majestic and protective. The sturdy bushes and grass support your heels while climbing up. Pretty flowers smile at you lighting up unknown corners. Trekking on foot is the best way to appreciate the terrain and the flora.

Here is a Basant tree with Nanda Devi in the background. The tree is having flower buds in February. Normally at this time it will be covered with snow.



"Blushing unseen"



Blooming in times of global warming




The golden oak trees




The ‘Nahar Bush’ has lovely smelling leaves and is an insect repellent. Here is Rakesh, our guide with the Nahar Bush




We are fascinated by the pink white flowers of Basnt tree. Here is a pic of me holding a bunch in my hand.



We found beautiful flowering trees lining the roads on our way back to Joshimath. We wanted to know the name of the tree. Some Bank officials whom we met, who were posted in the area, could not help. Nor could the hotel owner at the hotel where we had lunch. The most common local tree had no name!

I had seen the same flowers in Mandal (on the way to Kedarnath) a few years back. Here is a photo of the tree in Mandal. The flowers resemble cherry blossoms.



But we saw ‘bottle brushes’ and ‘gulmohars’ being planted on the roadside by PWD (or Forest dept) to make up for trees cut down during widening of roads. The question which came to us was, why are we not propagating the local trees?

The most majestic of all the trees in Auli? The Golden Oak, no doubt. Two hundred of these more than hundred year old trees, are slated to be mowed down for the ski slope. More on that in the next blog!

'Valley of Flowers' in Gurgaon

The Japanese art form of flower arrangement was organized by the Gurgaon chapter of Ikebana International at Epicentre.




Avers Ms Indira Misra, President Gurgaon Chapter

"This Japanese art of floral arrangement is different as it follows a Buddhist philosophy. This is an art as it has a recorded history. However, with time this has also evolved and now there are three different schools, namely, Ohara, Sogetsu and Ikenobo which is the most classical style.



More than simply putting flowers in a container, Ikebana is a disciplined art form in which nature and humanity are brought together. Though Ikebana is a creative expression, it has certain rules governing its form.



All the elements used in construction must be organic, be they branches, leaves, grasses or flowers. The artist's intention behind each arrangement is shown through a piece's colour combinations, natural shapes, graceful lines and the usually implicit meaning of the arrangement. The container is also a key element of the composition and various styles of pottery may be used in their construction.



Writes Ekta Saxena in "Gurgaon Explorer"

"Spiritual aspect of Ikebana is considered very important to its practitioners. Silence is a must during practices of Ikebana. It is a time to appreciate things in nature that people often overlook because of their busy lives. One becomes more patient and tolerant of differences, not only in nature, but also in general. Ikebana can inspire to identify with beauty in all art forms. This is also the time when one feels closeness to nature which provides relaxation for the mind, body and soul."

For a slide show of more pictures please click HERE.