ધોરણ 9 | విષય: English
અનોખી જગ્યા: ઉત્તરાખંડના ચમોલી જિલ્લામાં ગંગોત્રીની નજીક, હિમાલયની પશ્ચિમ શ્રેણીમાં 14000 ફૂટની ઊંચાઈએ 'વેલી ઓફ ફ્લાવર્સ' (ફૂલોની ઘાટી) આવેલી છે. તે 87.5 ચોરસ કિમીના વિસ્તારમાં ફેલાયેલું અદ્ભુત નેશનલ પાર્ક છે.
શોધ અને ઇતિહાસ: આ જગ્યા દુર્ગમ હોવાથી પહેલા ઓછી જાણીતી હતી. 1931માં ત્રણ બ્રિટિશ પર્વતારોહકો રસ્તો ભૂલી જતાં અકસ્માતે આ ઘાટીમાં આવી ચડ્યા. ફૂલોના રંગો અને વૈવિધ્યથી અવાચક થઈને તેમણે આનું નામ 'ધ વેલી ઓફ ફ્લાવર્સ' આપ્યું. 1982માં તેને રાષ્ટ્રીય ઉદ્યાન જાહેર કરાયો અને 1988માં યુનેસ્કો (UNESCO) દ્વારા 'વર્લ્ડ હેરિટેજ સાઇટ'માં સ્થાન મળ્યું.
પૌરાણિક મહત્વ: રામાયણમાં મેઘનાદના બાણથી લક્ષ્મણ બેભાન થયા ત્યારે હનુમાનજી સંજીવની જડીબુટ્ટી લેવા ગયા હતા તે આ જ સ્થળ હતું તેવી લોકવાયકા છે.
વનસ્પતિ અને પ્રાણીસૃષ્ટિ (Flora and Fauna): અહીં 600થી વધુ પ્રજાતિના ફૂલો અને વનસ્પતિ છે. બ્રહ્મકમળ એ અહીંનું સૌથી પ્રખ્યાત ધાર્મિક અને ઔષધીય ફૂલ છે. આ સિવાય અહીં હિમચિત્તા (Snow Leopard), કસ્તૂરી મૃગ (Musk Deer), લાલ શિયાળ અને હિમાલયન કાળો રીંછ જેવાં વિરલ પ્રાણીઓ તથા 114 પ્રજાતિના પક્ષીઓ જોવા મળે છે.
મુલાકાતનો શ્રેષ્ઠ સમય: શિયાળામાં આ ઘાટી બરફથી ઢંકાયેલી રહે છે. જુલાઈ, ઓગસ્ટ અને સપ્ટેમ્બર મહિનામાં ફૂલો પૂર્ણ ખીલે છે, જે આ સ્થળની મુલાકાત લેવાનો શ્રેષ્ઠ સમય છે. પુષ્પાવતી નદી આ ઘાટીને બે ભાગમાં વહેંચે છે.
| Name | Location & Distance | Major Animals / Birds |
|---|---|---|
| Gir Forest | Junagadh, Gujarat (By bus ~370 kms) | Lion, Leopard, Deer |
| Ranthambhore | Rajasthan (By bus ~650 kms) | Tiger, Leopard, Hyena |
| Velavadar | Bhavnagar, Gujarat (By bus ~150 kms) | Blackbuck, Wolf |
| Nalsarovar | Ahmedabad/Surendranagar (By bus ~65 kms) | Water Birds, Migratory Birds |
The poet was moving in a daffodil park. → False
The poet looked at the flowers from the sky. → False
All the daffodils were dancing on the bank of lake. → True
He saw flowers on the hills of the Himalayas. → False
One thousand daffodils were dancing together. → False
The sight of dancing daffodils delighted the poet. → True
The poet's heart also started dancing. → True
(enchanting, travelogue, alluring, stunned, miraculous, panoramic)
Once we visited a natural park. We were stunned when we saw a panoramic view of nature. It was really enchanting. The flowers were so alluring that we can't avoid touching. It has a miraculous effect on me that I wrote a travelogue on it.
The VF is a National Heritage Park. → True
The VF is a very interesting place for the botanists. → True
Hanuman brought sanjeevani plant from the VF. → True
The Govindghat is the gateway of the VF. → True
The river Pushpavati is 6kms long. → True
We can see the snow leopards and the snow pigeons in the VF. → True
The plants and flowers in the VF are just for beauty. → False
Diwali vacation is a suitable time for trekking in the VF. → False
Official Name: Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Park
Location: Chamoli district, Uttarakhand (near Ghaghariya, 300 km North of Rishikesh)
Area: 87.5 sq. km.
Important Dates:
1931: Discovered by British mountaineers
1982: Declared as a National Park
1988: Included in World Heritage Sites
Flowers: Brahmkamal, Blue poppies, Vajradanti, Banfsa, Balsam, etc.
Wild Life: Snow Leopard, Musk Deer, Red Fox, Himalayan Black Bear, Blue Sheep
Months for Visit: July, August, and September
Major Attractions: Panoramic views of alpine flowers, Pushpawati riverbed, rare fauna and flora.
Why is the beauty of VF called 'dreamlike'?
Ans: Because emerald mountains, green meadows, white clouds, and colorful patches of alpine flowers create a breathtaking, magical landscape.
What tempts photographers to VF?
Ans: The huge variety and vibrant colors of alpine flowers along with the scenic mountain views tempt photographers.
How would you reach the VF from Ahmedabad?
Ans: Take a train/flight from Ahmedabad to Rishikesh/Haridwar, drive by road upto Govindghat, and then trek to Ghaghariya to reach the Valley.
What is the connection between the VF and the Ramayan?
Ans: According to legend, Hanumanji flew to this place to bring the Sanjeevani plant to save Laxman's life.
How did the VF get its name?
Ans: In 1931, three British mountaineers were stunned by the immense variety and bright colors of flowers here and named it 'The Valley of Flowers'.
Why are plants and flowers in the VF important?
Ans: They include many rare, globally endangered species and 45 medicinal plants used for health treatments and religious offerings.
✓ Where is he going?
✓ Why are you worried?
✓ When are you going to pay the electricity bill?
✓ Which one is your cycle?
✓ Why do you look so anxious?
(what / you / do?) → What do you do?
(where / you / live?) → Where do you live?
(where / Rajesh / come from?) → Where does Rajesh come from?
(when / you / go to bed?) → When do you go to bed?
(when / Rajesh / come back home?) → When does Rajesh come back home?
(how often / he / go for movies?) → How often does he go for movies?
(how often / he / study English?) → How often does he study English?
(why / he / seem worried?) → Why does he seem worried?
Number of holidays in current month: How many holidays are there in this month?
Friend's location at theater: Where are you right now?
Exam date: When does our exam start?
Looking for bicycle in parking: Where have you parked my bicycle?
Teacher's location: Where is our English teacher?
School reopening date: When will our school reopen after vacation?
Where is Garampani sanctuary situated? → In Assam
What is the science that studies insects known as? → Entomology
Who was an Italian astronomer who discovered the telescope? → Galileo
When was the battle of Plassey fought? → In 1757
How long is a game of Kabaddi? → 40 minutes
How often are the Olympic games held? → Every 4 years
Which player has scored the most runs in a single Test innings? → Brian Lara
What kind of folk dance form is associated with Punjab? → Bhangra
Who is known as the father of English Poetry? → Chaucer
How many centimeters are there in a foot? → 30 cms.
My Favourite Natural Place: Saputara
My favourite natural place is Saputara, a beautiful hill station located in the Dang district of Gujarat. It is about 400 km from my hometown and can be easily reached by road via Surat or Vadodara. The major attractions of Saputara include the Sunrise and Sunset points, Saputara Lake, Step Garden, and the Rose Garden. Surrounded by dense green forests and misty mountains, the weather here remains pleasant throughout the year. I love this place because it offers total peace away from city noise. I vividly remember enjoying a serene boat ride on Saputara Lake during my last vacation with my family.
Kandarp: Friends, hurrah! tomorrow is a holiday.
Rahim: What shall we do tomorrow?
Nisarg: Shall we plan for a picnic?
Firoz: That's a great idea. Where shall we go?
Kandarp: How about going to the nearby riverbank and nature park?
Rahim: Excellent! We can enjoy nature and play games there.
Nisarg: What time shall we gather tomorrow morning?
Firoz: Let's meet at 7:00 AM at the school gate and carry our own snacks and water bottles.
Kandarp: Perfect! See you all tomorrow morning!