Benazir Ahmed Siddique

Rhododendron in Nepal is known as Gurans. In spring, Gurans (Rhododendrons) blossom in the mountainous and high hill areas. The colourful Gurans of different species make the forest beautiful and make the visitors desirous.

Beauty of Flowers
Due to the flowering season of Gurans, domestic and international tourists visit different districts of Nepal to enjoy the beauty of colourful flowers. Everyone's heart is drawn to it as it is fascinating to see the blossoming Gurans all over the hilly areas. The forest of Gurans has become red. Tourists have enjoyed the different species of Gurans.
Rhododendron is a very widely distributed genus, occurring throughout most of the Northern Hemisphere and extending to areas in southeastern Asia and northern Australasia. It does not occur naturally in South America or Africa.

However, the highest species diversity is found in the Himalayas. The name, rhododendron, is derived from the Greek words Rhodos (meaning rose) and dendron (meaning tree). There are over 1,000 natural species of rhododendron, including many bushy species and several trees that grow to heights of up to thirty metres.
Many tree species will take years to reach flowering, at least twenty or more, while at least fifty years is needed for a tree rhododendron to reach its optimum form. There are over 28,000 cultivars of Rhododendron in the International Rhododendron Registry held by the Royal Horticultural Society in the UK. Rhododendrons are botanically related to azaleas, blueberries, heathers and mountain laurels.

There are almost 32 species of Gurans in Nepal. Gurans are found from the east to the west of the country. The highlands of the district include Panchthar, Terhathum, Sankhuwasabha, Taplejung, Solukhumbu and Okhaldhunga are covered by Gurans at this time. Of course, Gurans also bloom in the highlands. Nirmala Subedi, a tourist guide, pointed out the need to link Gurans with tourism by conserving the beauty of the Himalayas and high hills. Tinjure of Tehrathum, Jaljale of Sankhuwasabha and Milke of Taplejung are the kingdoms of Gurans. About 25 species of Gurans are found in the east and five to seven species are found in western Nepal. Eight to ten species of Gurans are found in the middle.

The government is protecting Guran as it is found in Tinjure, Milke and Jaljala areas including Tokgola of Taplejung. Nirmala also added that water is more abundant in the Himalayan region. The government has been protecting the Tin-Jura-Milke-Jaljale area by declaring it as Gurans Conservation Area.

Laligurans, the national flower of Nepal, is found in more than 1,500 metres to 3,000 metres. She said that other species of Gurans can be found in areas above 3,000. Rhododendron londaceae and Rhododendron quanianum are the only species found in Nepal. According to the Botanists, Rhododendron quanianum is found in the Manaslu Himal region at an altitude of 4,500 metres.
Gurans, which bloom at different times depending on the species, appear one after the other over a period, almost throughout the year. In the lower region, it blooms in January and February, and in the upper region, it blooms in April in an area of 2,000 to 3,500 metres. From June to July, it blooms when the monsoon is active at an altitude of 3,500 metres.
Many poems and songs are referring to Lali Gurans.

Among the most famous songs are Prakash Shresta's "Timi Lali Gurans Phule Jastai", Kunti Moktan's "Laligurans Banai Bhari" and Narayan Gopal's "Ma Ta Laligurans Bhayechu" which uses phrases such as "I became a Lali Gurans; I blossom in the whole forest and your heart; if somebody is there to look I will blossom in their eyes". Laligurans blooms from January to April.

More Attractive
Laligurans looks more attractive and charming than other flowers. Rhododendron grande is the largest flower of various species. The size of this flower is about the size of a human head, said Nirmala Subedi. Generally, the flower of Laligurans is bigger than other Guarans.

Mainly Laligurans, Chimal, Sunpati, Korlingar, Seto, Rato Chimal, Seno Sunpati, Male Sunpati, Jhuse Chimal, Pahale Chimal, Radhu, Khiyaune Pate Gurans are the main species. The process of cutting down trees for fuel is on the rise as tourism promotion programs are being carried out in different areas by conserving Gurans through festivals. The beauty of the flowering rhododendrons draws thousands of trekkers to Nepal every year.

One of the best travel times of Nepal is the rhododendron blossom in spring! Dozens of different rhododendron species spread in the mountain forests of the Himalayas up to an altitude of 4.000m and transform these in spring with their petals – from bright white to purple red – into a wonderful blaze of colour! This creates a breathtaking contrast to the giants of the Himalayas shining in the sun. And the waves of this sea of colours are buzzing and humming as the wild bees eagerly collect the nectar for the famous Nepalese mountain honey! If you want to hike this natural wonder on the fantastic paths of Gurans, spring is a perfect time.

(The author is a pharmacist, writer and social activist)