The national park known as "Valley of Flowers" lies in which Indian state?

Introduction / Context:
This question comes from the topic of national parks and biosphere reserves in India. The Valley of Flowers National Park is world famous for its spectacular alpine meadows and rich floral diversity, and has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Exams often test whether students can correctly match this park with its state.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The protected area specified is "Valley of Flowers" National Park.
- The options include Uttarakhand, Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim.
- The question asks only for the state, not the district or year of notification.
- We assume the standard official state location.

Concept / Approach:
Valley of Flowers National Park is situated in the western Himalayas in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. It is often mentioned together with Nanda Devi National Park, and together they form the Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks World Heritage Site. The area is known for high-altitude meadows, glacial streams and seasonal blooms of hundreds of species of flowering plants. The correct approach is to recall that this famous valley is in Uttarakhand, not in other Himalayan states like Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir or Sikkim, and certainly not in a southern state like Kerala.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Remember that the Valley of Flowers is approached from Govindghat and Ghangaria in the Garhwal Himalayas.Step 2: Garhwal region is part of the state of Uttarakhand.Step 3: Identify that Chamoli district, where the park is located, lies within Uttarakhand.Step 4: Kerala is a southern coastal state and can therefore be eliminated immediately.Step 5: Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim do have national parks but none named Valley of Flowers.Step 6: Therefore, the only correct state associated with Valley of Flowers National Park is Uttarakhand.

Verification / Alternative check:
UNESCO documentation on World Heritage Sites lists the Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks together and clearly states their location in Uttarakhand. Indian government tourism and forest department websites also describe Valley of Flowers as part of Uttarakhand, giving details of access routes from Rishikesh and Joshimath, which are all within this state. These independent references verify that Uttarakhand is the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Kerala: Located in the far south of India and known for parks like Eravikulam and Periyar, not Valley of Flowers.

Jammu and Kashmir: Has national parks such as Dachigam, but Valley of Flowers is not in this region.
Himachal Pradesh: A Himalayan state with parks like Great Himalayan National Park and Pin Valley, but not Valley of Flowers.
Sikkim: Known for Khangchendzonga National Park, but again not for the Valley of Flowers.

Common Pitfalls:
Because the Valley of Flowers is in the Himalayas, some students may vaguely associate it with any northern hill state and mistakenly choose Himachal Pradesh or Jammu and Kashmir. The key is to remember the Garhwal Himalayas and Chamoli district specifically in Uttarakhand. Regular practice of mapping important national parks to their states helps avoid such confusion.

Final Answer:
Uttarakhand