The term "Dzukou" is originated from a word common to both Angami and Mao languages, which can be translated as "cold water", with reference to the cold stream flowing throughout the valley area.[5][9]
Geography
It is situated at an altitude of 2,452 m (8,045 ft) above sea level.[citation needed][verification needed] The valley is famous for its wide range of flowers in every season but the most famous one is the "Dzükou Lily" (Lilium chitrangadae), named after the mother of its discoverer, Hijam Bikramjit, a researcher of the Life Sciences Department, Manipur University, in the summer of 1991. This lily species is opined by some botanists to be similar to Shirui lily (Lilium mackliniae), with the only difference in being deeper in pink colour.[10][11]
It has periodically been threatened by forest fires, which tend to spread quickly due to prevalent wind conditions and are difficult to fight because of the inaccessible terrain around the valley. In 2006, a forest fire destroyed 20 kilometers of forest in the valley before it was contained. The 2020–21 Dzükou Valley wildfires destroyed an estimated 200 acres of forest land, as well as significant flora in the valley itself.[13][14][15]
Gallery
Dzüko Valley
View of hillocks near Dzükou Valley from the guest house
^ abMeitei language (officially known as Manipuri language) is the official language of Manipur. Other regional languages of different places in Manipur may either be predominantly spoken or not in their respective places but "Meitei" is always officially used.[3]
^ abcDoon, Vikas; Team, Dino Editorial. North East GK Complete. Dinosaur Books. p. 26. The Dzukou Valley is in Senapati district bordering with Kohima. There are seasonal flowers and a number of flora and fauna. Dzukou derives its meaning from the Angami/Mao word that translates to "Cold Water", referring to the cold stream that flows through the valley. It is at an altitude of 2,438 metres (7,999 ft) above sea level, behind the Japfu Peak in Nagaland. The rare Dziikou lily is found only in this valley.
^Nimai, R. K. (10 July 2019). NE Scholar : Emerging The Lost Civilization of The Manipur Valley. NE Brothers Pvt Limited. p. 40. The Dzükou/Dzüko Valley is a valley located at the border of the states of Manipur and Nagaland in northeast India. This valley is well known for its natural environment, seasonal flowers and flora and fauna.
^"Dzuko Lily - Flowers of India". Flowers of India. Retrieved 14 August 2020. The endemic Dzukou lily was first identified, in the Dzukou valley, by Hijam Bikramjit of the Life Sciences Department, Manipur University, in the summer of 1991. Bikramjit was part of a Manipur Cultural Integration Conference team that trekked to the valley that summer. Bikramjit named it Lilium chitrangadae after his mother. However, later studies found that Dzuko lily is botanically similar to the revered Shirui lily, but is deep pink in color.