#1 Celebrating India: The Best Meadows of India

It's Independence Day week.

I thought we could use this week to celebrate the gorgeous landscapes of India.

As trekkers and not travellers, we have the rare privilege to see and experience the rawest, most gorgeous version of India. 

From the high-altitude Himalayan belt to the forests of Central India, and the rich ghats and beaches of our country, the changes in scenery are unimaginable. 

But still, we rarely get an opportunity to experience all of it. 

That is why, over the next few days, I want to share with you some of the most incredible landscapes of India. I will do it by taking you through some of the best treks of our country, which celebrate these beautiful sceneries. 

I have divided it into 

• Meadows of India
• Forests of India 
• Valleys of India
• High mountains of India 

I’m intentionally focusing on treks organised by Indiahikes so that you have the avenue to explore these trails. Frankly, even though we have been running treks for so many years, it baffles me that we organise more than 50 treks today. Even our most veteran trekkers have not experienced them all. 

So let’s celebrate India through the lens of Indiahikes treks. 

I’m starting straightaway with our favourite feature at Indiahikes: Meadows of India. 

High-altitude meadows are probably the most underrated feature of the Indian Himalayas. Most travellers travel to the Swiss Alps to see this scenery: vast meadows, dotted with sheep, set against the backdrop of snow-capped mountains. Toss some golden light into the picture and you’re in heaven. 

Little do people know that, in India, we are blessed with some of the best high-altitude meadows in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, most of which can give any other meadows in the world tight competition.

Today, I have listed down treks with the best meadows that you’ll experience. While some of the treks have the meadows or “bugyals” built into their names, some others have hidden meadows, all of which I have included in this post. 

See the best Meadows of India here.

1. Ali Bedni Bugyal

If there's one extremely emotional trek for all of us at Indiahikes, it's the Ali Bedni Bugyal trek. 

It is special because it was in these meadows, over 15 years ago, our two founders trekked and had endless conversations about how trekking in India must grow. As a result, Indiahikes grew with the vision that Everyone Must Trek. 

Beyond this emotional connection, we feel no other meadows in our country are as beautifully laid out as Ali and Bedni Bugyal. We've seen Dayara Bugyal, Siyari Bugyal, and Gidara Bugyal; they're all beautiful. Yet, in terms of scenic beauty, none come close to Ali Bedni Bugyal. 

The way these meadows are landscaped - with the elegant Mt Trishul and Mt Nanda Ghunti standing at the edge of the meadows - is simply flawless. This reel about the view from Bedni Bugyal, which went viral with over a million views, is a testament to the beauty of these meadows. It is a part of this larger film, a tribute to why we love Ali Bedni Bugyal.

"Witness a sunrise and a sunset here, and you'll feel like your soul can finally rest in peace!" says Arjun Majumdar, founder of Indiahikes. 

2. Dayara Bugyal 

Ever since we first opened the Dayara Bugyal trek, trekkers have fallen in love with the charm of these meadows — the soft glow of early morning sun on the meadows, the lakes and ponds that are embedded in the meadows, the towering Gangotri ranges that form a grand backdrop, and of course, ever-present Bandarpoonch Massif. 

Dayara Bugyal is among the first “meadow treks” we opened. “When we explored Dayara Bugyal in 2010, trekking just to a meadow wasn't a popular concept. Treks were focused on high mountain passes and glacial lakes. Routes stretched across meadows but meadows weren't destinations in themselves,” shares Sandhya UC, co-founder and COO of Indiahikes, who herself has a soft corner for meadows. “That changed with Dayara Bugyal when trekkers started trekking purely for the love of meadows.”

This video, which is a tribute to Dayara Bugyal by Indiahikes will give you a lovely glimpse into the beauty of these meadows. 

The cherry on top is that Dayara Bugyal is among the few meadows in our country that are easily accessible, even to children and seniors. In one sentence, it is easily among the best treks to experience the alpine meadows of our country.

3. Buran Ghati 

Not many trekkers are aware of this, but Buran Ghati has a few of the best meadow sections out of all our treks. Coincidentally, these meadows are also named Dayara and we camp in these lovely meadows on Day 2 of the trek. 

In conversations among ourselves, we call the first view of these meadows the “Wow” moment. This small reel will show you what that moment looks like.

The Dayara meadows are laden with thousands of tiny yellow flowers. You’ll not know where to step! Izzat Yaganagi, who was part of our Exploration & Documentation team to Buran Ghati in 2015, shares her experience. “Walking a short distance away I sat on a rock, gazing at the peaks ahead being lit up in gold. Time stood still… Moments of sheer connection like this, with the true self and its creator, is what brings me back to the mountains again and again. Anyone who tastes its sweetness will not barter it away for anything.”

4. Bhrigu Lake 

Here's another secret. Almost all trekkers think that the Bhrigu Lake Trek is about the lake they see at 14,000 ft. But once they go there, the reality is different. Their hearts melt for a totally different reason: the meadows that they see on the way to the lake. 

Even our founders, after over two decades of trekking, had the same experience on the Bhrigu Lake trek. Our founder made this 49-second video standing in the grasslands, telling people the real reason to do this trek. 

The best part of it? You can experience these meadows within ten minutes of starting the trek. And they’re terrific at any time of the year. They are green in June, with lovely snow patches decorating them. In July, August and September, they are a lush green replete with wildflowers. Further in October and November, they start browning beautifully, showing you an unimaginable festival of colours. 

We have recently launched groups in November as well, hoping trekkers get to see these rare oranges and yellows.

5. Chandrakhani Pass 

Again, the name of the Chandrakhani Pass trek leaves trekkers looking forward to the wrong destination. While climbing to the pass is an experience, the meadow on this trek is the real prize. 

All our team members who have visited the Chandrakhani Pass trek vouch for this. “This trek surprises you with the meadows. You get a teaser on the very first day at the Ghan Kuradi clearing. Although it’s a clearing in the heart of the forest, it is so vast that it looks like an alpine meadow. But that is just a teaser,” says Pritish Bhanushali, videographer at Indiahikes. 

“The real magic begins after you cross the tree line. The entire trek is laid out on the grandest meadow you have seen. It extends all the way to the Chandrakhani Pass,” he adds. 

So even though trekkers go for the high point of the trek, they come back loving the meadows. Time it any time in August / September, you’re going to see wildflowers throughout the meadows. It’s one of the best meadow experiences you’ll have.

6. Surya Top 

In a conversation about meadows, it is hard not to talk about Surya Top. In our country, we have some of the grandest meadows to walk on and then some of the finest summits to climb. But there is one trek that combines both of these, and that is the Surya Top Trek.

Surya Top is an extension of our much-loved Dayara Bugyal trek. Trekkers often get teary-eyed upon reaching Dayara meadows on the Dayara Bugyal trek. They're floored by the endless grasslands, not to mention the big mountain views. Such is the setting of the meadows. 

What if we told you that this is just the tip of the iceberg? 

Surya Top is a real deal when it comes to experiencing the grandeur of Dayara meadows in its entirety. You trek on the meadows not just for a couple of hours but for two full days! At Devkund, you are at the end of the Dayara meadows. Right behind you are endless stretches of perfectly manicured meadows that extend as far as your eyes can reach. You explore all that Dayara Meadows has to offer. This is only possible when you do the Surya Top Trek.

But this is not all. You also trek through the meadows of Siyari Bugyal. This two-minute video shows you the magnificent meadows of Siyari Bugyal. It is not shot in the context of Surya Top (because I shot it when we were exploring a route to another trek), but it will give you an idea.

7. Pir Panjal Lakes 

When it comes to meadows, it’s impossible to ignore the meadows of Jammu & Kashmir. J&K has the unfair advantage of being on a different latitude compared to Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. 

While the meadows of the other two states are more raw and grand with high mountains in the backdrop, the meadows in Jammu & Kashmir are softer, gentler, and wider. They are often within the treeline, giving you the luxury of walking in a huge meadow, but walled by splendid forests. 

That’s what you see on the Pir Panjal Lakes, almost on all days of the trek. You are trekking from one meadow to another, one valley to another. Each of these valleys is home to vast meadows that stretch for over 4-5 km. They take several hours to cover, at the end of which you enter another meadow. 

If you want to trek in Kashmir, with meadows as your highlight, you cannot ignore this trek.

8. Brammah Valley 

Brammah Valley, being closer in proximity to Himachal Pradesh than to proper Kashmir, has the raw grandeur of high mountains, and the soft pleasures of Kashmiri meadows. 

You see this, especially at Kiddar Maidan, which is among the best campsites we have at Indiahikes. Standing behind you are tall peaks of the Brammah massif. But surrounding you are breathtaking meadows that you would never want to leave behind. 

“It is the kind of location that makes you say “I want to build a home here and never return,” shares Nitesh Kumar, who documented the trek before we opened it up for trekkers last year.

Which is your favourite meadow and why? Drop in a comment.

While we have limited space and time to talk about meadows in this post, we would love to hear your thoughts on your favourite meadows. 

Drop in a comment below with your favourite meadow and why. It will help other trekkers plan their future treks to a place that you have loved.

Meanwhile, we will be back with more, in this Independence Day series, talking about the best forests, mountains, and valleys of our country.