Orchidaceae is amongst the most diverse and widespread families of flowering plants with uniquely colourful and fragrant flowers. The status and distribution pattern of orchids was examined in Pangi Valley, District Chamba of Himachal Pradesh, North Western Himalaya. Pangi Valley supports unique, natural, ecologically and economically important orchids of Great Himalayan Range. Quadrat method was followed for the quantitative assessment of orchid species. A total of 17 species of orchids representing 11 genera were recorded. These were distributed between 2100-4500 m amsl and found in shady moist, alpine meadows/thatches, grassland, riverine, rocky, shrubbery and dry habitats. The species were analysed for nativity, endemism, threat categories and indigenous uses. Amongst the studied species, 10 were natives, 4 non-natives, 3 near-endemic. Of the total species, 8 species were found in the sites sampled for quantitative assessment of vegetation. Cephalanthera longifolia was recorded at maximum sites (9 sites), followed by Dactylorhiza hatagirea (8 sites), Calanthe plantaginea and Epipactis helleborine (6 sites), Platanthera edgeworthii and Malaxis muscifera (2 sites, each) and Cypripedium cordigerum and Gymnadenia orchidis (1 site, each). Maximum orchids were found in shady moist habitat (11 species), followed by rocky (3 species), dry (2 species) and alpine, riverine and grassland (1 species each) habitats. The density of Cephalanthera longifolia ranged from 0.1-0.25 Ind m-2, Dactylorhiza hatagirea, 0.05-0.85 Ind m-2, Calanthe plantaginea, 0.05-0.50 Ind m-2, Epipactis helleborine, 0.05-0.40 Ind m-2, Malaxis muscifera, 0.20-0.40 Ind m-2, Platanthera edgeworthii, 0.05-0.10 Ind m-2, Cypripedium cordigerum, 0.55 Ind m-2 and Gymnadenia orchidis, 0.85 Ind m-2. Some of the species have medicinal properties and are used to cure sores, eczema, fever, burns, cough, cold, cuts, sexual disability, rheumatism, nervous disorder, female disorder, kidney disorder, spermopiotic, urinary problems, dysentery, sterility, etc. Maximum species are known to be used as tonic (7 species), followed by blood problems (5 species), fever, cough, spermopiotic and female disorder (3 species, each) and burns, expectorant, cold, rheumatism, urinary disorder, dysentery, epilepsy (2 species, each). Among the species, Cypripedium himalaicum, Dactylorhiza hatagirea, and Habenaria intermedia were Endangered, Cypripedium cordigerum, Malaxis muscifera and Platanthera edgeworthii as Vulnerable, Herminium monorchis as Near Threatened and remaining species as Least Concerned. Studies on habitat ecology of these orchids is important for understanding the dynamics of their population, mass multiplication following conventional and in vitro propagation methods, conservation. Received: April