Balpakram National Park, National park in South Garo Hills, Meghalaya, India
Balpakram National Park is a protected area in South Garo Hills with forested highlands, limestone plateaus, and deep gorges. The land shifts between thick greenery and rocky edges that overlook mist and river valleys.
Balpakram National Park was inaugurated in December 1987, at about 910 m near the Bangladesh border in South Garo Hills. India's central government later nominated the Garo Hills Conservation Area, which includes the park, for the UNESCO World Heritage tentative list.
Garo myth gives the park its name: Balpakram means "land of the eternal wind". A Schima wallichii tree in the reserve has a hollow in its trunk that local people say was made by spirits resting on their way to the abode of the dead, tethering animals killed for their funeral rites.
Visitors reach the area through Baghmara town and find the best conditions between October and April when trails are dry. Some routes cover uneven ground, so sturdy footwear and reasonable fitness help with the walk.
Several cave systems lie within the limestone base of the park and provide habitat for rare butterfly species. These underground spaces also hold plants used traditionally for healing purposes.
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