About Nainital
Nainital is a glittering jewel in the Himalyan necklace, blessed with scenic natural spledour and varied natural resources . Dotted with lakes , Nainital has earned the epithet of ' Lake District ' of India . The most prominent of the lakes is Naini lake ringed by hills . Nainital has a varied topography . Some of the important places in the district are Nainital , Haldwani , Kaladhungi , Ramnagar , Bhowali , Ramgarh , Mukteshwar , Bhimtal , Sattal and Naukuchiatal . Nainital's unending expense of scenic beauty is nothing short of a romance with awe-inspiring and pristine Mother nature. Nainital is headquarter of Nainital District. It is also divisional Headquarter of Kumaon Division of Uttarakhand State. Nainital is located at an altitude of 1,938mts above sea level, Nainital derives its name from Naini Lake, a prominent tourist spot of Nainital. Nainital is located in the Kumaon region and is popularly known as the Lake District of India. Nainital is a famous tourist destination of India, attracting hundreds of both domestic and foreign tourists every year. It shines as a glittering jewel in the Himalayan Mountains and is surrounded with lakes and nature's bounty. Some of the important places in the district of Nainital are Haldwani, Kaladhungi, Ramnagar, Bhowali, Ramgarh, Mukteshwar, Bhimtal, Sattal.
Nainital History
Nainital finds mention in various ancient myths and legends. The Naini temple at the banks of Naini Lake holds a lot of significance especially among the Hindus as it is believed to be one of the 64 Shakti Peeths, where some parts of the burned body of Sati (Parvati) fell here while being carried by Lord Shiva. Nainital was found by a European businessman, P. Barron who was in awe with the beauty of the Naini Lake. In no time it developed as a summer retreat for the Englishmen and a second Municipal Board of the Northwestern Provinces.
Best Time to Visit
You can Visit Nainital Round the year. Nainital enjoys a temperate climate with the maximum reaching 27 degree C and the minimum at 0 degree C.
Nainital The Famous Hill Station
Nainital is famous for the Naini Lake where it is believed that Lord Shiva performed his tandava. The Naini peak or the China peak is the highest in Nainital with a height of 2611mts. Some of the other places of tourist interest are the Mall, now known as the Govind Ballabh Pant Marg. You can find restaurants, offices and hotels all located in the Mall. Nainital Zoo is a very important tourist spot where you can find rare species of snow leopard, steppe eagle and the Himalayan black bear. The Governor House of the Raj Bhavan with its sprawling gardens is one of the few Raj Bhavnas open for public viewing. Nainital's latest attraction is the Eco Cave Garden where your children can learn about ecosphere.
Nainital is also famous for its various schools and research facilities. The Observatory or the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) is located 9kms from Nainital on Manora Peak and is the center for astronomical studies and optical tracking of artificial satellites. It also proudly houses many renowned schools some from the British period. Important and famous schools in Nainital includes Sherwood College, St Joseph's College, and Sainik School. Nainital is also one of the campuses of Kumaun University.
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- Transport:By Air, By Train, By Bus
Places To Visit
Naini Lake
In a mythological account, this picturesque lake is said to be one of the emerald green eyes of Shiva's beloved consort, Sati (nain is a Sanskrit word for eye). When Sati's father failed to invite Shiva to a family sacrifice, she burnt herself to death in protest. Shiva gathered the charred remains in his arms and proceeded to engage in a cosmic dance tandav, which threatened to destroy the creation. To bring the dance to an end, Vishnu chopped up the body into pieces, and the remains were scattered. The Naina Devi Temple at the northern end of the lake is built over the precise spot where the eye is believed to have fallen.
Snow View Point
From the Nainital town the Snow View top is a 3 kilometer trek. Part of it can also be covered comfortably by cars and small vehicles. At the top, one can have a close up view of Nanda Devi (7816m), the second highest Himalayan peak of the country. There's a small temple dedicated to Dev Mundi, housing images of Goddess Durga, Lord Shiva, Goddess Sita, Lord Rama, Sri Lakshmana and Sri Hanuman. From Snow View one can walk west to another point and then continue on to the main road to Kilbury. One can also continue up to Cheena Peak or head down the road to Sukhatal, passing great views of the lake en route. On the walk up to Snow View one can take a peek in the tiny Gadhan Kunkyop Ling Gompa of the Gelukpa order (of which the Dalai Lama is the spiritual head)
Naina Peak / Cheena Peak
Naina Peak is locally known as the Cheena peak. This is the highest point in Nainital. From here Nainital appears like a majestic shining bowl. You can walk or take ponies to reach the peak. Naina peak also gives a good view of the Camel's Back, another interesting peak. There are no hotels or restaurants on the top so it is advisable to carry food and water along.
Naina Devi Temple
At the upper end of the attractive Nainital lake, a temple of Naina Devi is located. Dedicated to the patronizing goddess of the town, Naina Devi, this temple and its complex becomes the location of the famous Nanda Devi Mela, held every year on Nandashtami during September.
Nainital Zoo
Nainital has a small but a very beautiful Zoological garden. There are several animals including Deer, Bears, Tigers and many more. Special efforts have been put in to make the environment of the zoo hygienic and clean. Not surprisingly this zoo is one of the cleanest zoos in the country. The zoo can be reached on foot or by small vehicles.
How To Reach
By Air
Pant Nagar Airport is situated in Uttarakhand state and is one of the two airports of Uttarakhand. Pant Nagar is the nearest airport to Kathgodam and Nainital as well. It is situated 72kms from Nainital and is well connected by motorable roads. Taxis to Nainital and Kathgodam are easily available from Pant Nagar Airport. Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi is 300 Km.
By Rail
Kathgodam is the nearest railway station to Nainital, situated at a distance of 41kms. Kathgodam is well connected by Railway networks with major destinations of India like Lucknow, Delhi and Kolkata. Trains are frequent to Kathgodam as it is the gateway of Kumaon region. There are two trains that run daily between Delhi to Kathgodam and vice-versa. Kathgodam is the nearest railhead to Nainital. Nainital is only one hour drive 41kms from Kathgodam Railway Station. Buses and Taxis are easily available to Nainital from Kathgodam.
By Road
Nainital is well connected by motorable roads with major destinations of northern India. Nainital is only one hour drive from Kathgodam which is spread on the hills of the lower Himalayan range. You can take taxi or bus from Kathgodam to reach Nainital. Most number of tourists who visit Nainital commences their journey from New Delhi. The distance between Delhi to Nainital is 320kms which can be covered by 9hour drive, Nainital is connected with NH87. Buses to Nainital are available from ISBT Anand Vihar. Buses and Taxis are available from all major destination of Garhwal and Kumaon region as Nainital is one of the frequently visited hill station of India.
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