Jyotsna Sitling and the Valley of Flowers

nyraghu

People going to the Valley of Flowers would have noticed the admirable efforts of the Eco-Development Committee (EDC), Bhyundar. Under its banner, the villagers of Pulna and Bhyundar (3 kms and 9 kms from Govind Ghat on the way to Ghangaria) work hard to keep the entire area clean, and to maintain the trails. The EDC also runs the Valley of Flowers Information Centre next to the GMVN hotel in Ghangaria, where one can see a slide show on the Valley, and buy souvenirs.

The EDC was apparently started by Jyotsna Sitling, an officer of the Indian Forest Service (IFS), who was the Director of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve from 2001 to 2004. Under her direction, the EDC cleared huge mounds of garbage dumped by pilgrims to Hemkund. Also involved in this work was A. K. Banerjee, another IFS person who was the Divisional Forest Officer, Joshimath from 2002 to 2004. Here are some articles that I found interesting:

India's environmental crusader: "I was born into the `Lepcha' tribal community of Kalimpong in West Bengal, a region bordering Tibet." (Interview of Jyotsna Sitling by Neeta Lal, Guardian Weekly, 1 August 2007.)

This IFS officer saved a national park: Jyotsna Sitling is the proud recipient of this year's prestigious Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar, the country's highest environmental honour. (Article of 12 July 2007 by Neeta Lal at India Together.)

And the award goes to...: Jyotsna Sitling and A.K. Banerjee receive the Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in public administration for 2006-2007. (Article of 30 April 2008 by Anjali Nauriyal in Doon Plus.)

Since 2004, Jyotsna Sitling has been the Project Director of the Livelihoods Improvement Project for the Himalayas, Uttarakhand (ULIPH).

Raghu.

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Amitava343

It was a lady who gave her life for the Valley of Flowers, her grave is there among the flowers which she loved so much...Jan Marget Legge.
Now its an India lady who is trying to keep the place clean. Trekers visiting the place should take it among themselves to keep the place clean. Hemkund being a pilgrimage the Gurudwara at Hemkund should take the responsibilty for keeping the place clean.

nyraghu

Amitava, I agree absolutely.

I wouldn't say Joan Margaret Legge "gave her life for the Valley of Flowers." According to Stephen Alter [Sacred Waters] and Harish Kapadia [Across Peaks and Passes in Garhwal Himalaya], the story is something like this. Frank Smythe's book `Valley of Flowers' was published in London in 1938. Joan Legge read the book, and felt inspired to visit the Valley. She received a commission from the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, to collect specimens from the Valley, and reached Govind Ghat on 25 June 1939. On 4 July 1939, while collecting specimens, she slipped and fell to her death, and was buried/cremated nearby. She was 54 years old. Her sister visited the Valley sometime after the event, and installed a small gravestone. I think the epitaph (Psalms 121:1) at the grave is really beautiful:

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help."

Joan Legge's death was an unfortunate accident, but it wasn't for the sake of the Valley, or something like that.

My two bits' worth.

Raghu.

sics66

nyraghu

Thanks, sics66, for the wonderful picture. It looks like the photograph was taken on 8 August 2004. I went there an year later, from the 27th to 30th July 2005. However, I couldn't see the Legge memorial because a log bridge across the Pushpavati, beyond the second glacier in the Valley, was washed away. (More about all that in the thread Valley of Flowers with child.) My info about the memorial came from books. So, it was good to see your absolutely clear picture of the grave.

Raghu.

sics66

Yes. We were lucky,very lucky.It rained throughout the night before.It cleared early in the morning on 8th August.The sky remained relatively clear(with occasional clouds,but no rain) till 3 p.m. It started raining again when we were returning from VOF to Ghangaria.And it never stopped thereafter.Although we were lucky on the Valley of Flowers, we could not get to see the magnificent mountains from Hemkund Sahib(where we went on 9th).
But yes; I will forever remember those out of the world moments we spent near the memorial.Ethereal.

Dilliwala

Great thread and links, Raghu!
Thanks - never heard of Ms. Sitling before. Have heard of A.K. Banerjee though (more below), he is now DFO Mussoorie. Minor point - he is from the PFS (Provincial ).
Ok, doonplus mentions these 2 points but I didn't lift from there - by great coincidence I was in DFO Mussoorie's office 3 weeks ago! And that was the first time I heard of Banerjee and the PFS (boy, are things slow to change in U.P.! I thought the PAC was the only colonial remnant).

nyraghu

Thanks, Dilliwala, for the correction. I was perhaps misled by the awards announcement at the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, which refers to A. K. Banerjee, IFS.

That surely demands an emoticon, but I am not sure which one!

Regards,
Raghu.

Dilliwala

This one -


P.S. Where are you off to this summer?

nyraghu

I was thinking of Panwali Kantha, but can't get away in the summer, so I am hoping to go there in October.

Raghu.

somnath

Good thread with beautiful photograph . It reminds me about this note:

http://www.ringo.com/photos/album/ph...bumId=42384909

This was kept on the same memorial and just thought to take a snap to share with my friends.

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ronsaik

Unbelievable. When I visited VoF last August, I would have laughed if someone told me that the place was a garbage dump a few years back.
Incidentally, why has a similar clean-up operation not been carried out in the Nanda Devi sanctuary? And if it has, why is it still off-limits for trekking?

Amitava343

The last clean up of the Nanda Devi Santuary was done by the Army they bought back one ton of rubbish shown on TV.
The Sanctuary will open up shortly as talk are going on in the Uttaranchal Govt to do so.