Nainital India Travel Guide

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Nainital History and Geography

The district of Nainital is located in the foothills of The Himalayas, and is popularly known as the “Lake District of India”. It is part of the newly formed state of Uttranchal. It used to be part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, but it became part of Uttranchal when Uttar Pradesh was divided a few years back into two states - Uttar Pradesh and Uttranchal. The history of Nainital goes back to the Vedic period. It has been referred in the Skand Purana as the Tririshi Sarovar, or the lake of three sages. The story goes that the three sages Atri, Pulastya and Pulaha visited the land that is now Nainital on a repentant pilgrimage. When they found no water to satiate their thirst, they dug a hole and siphoned water into it from the holy Lake Mansarovar in Tibet. Thus, this became the tal which is now popularly known as the Naini Jheel situated in the middle of the town.There are numerous other stories of how the place was formed. The other mythological legend about Nainital is that it was formed as one of the sixty-four Shakti Peeth due to the falling of a body part of Devi Sati, wife of Lord Shiva. As per the legend, her eye fell here and gave rise to the place. The temple of the patron Deity Naina Devi is located at the northern end of the lake. The name Nainital is derived from Naina, meaning eye, and Tal, meaning lake.

Nainital Weather

Due to its location in the valley of the Gagar mountain range, Nainital has a colder climate than the adjoining areas of Almora and Ranikhet, which are comparatively warmer. It also receives heavy rainfall from the month of May till September and Snow fall is the heaviest in January and February.

Nainital Attractions and Things-To-Do

There are many places of tourist interest in Nainital, the foremost being the Naina Peak from where you get a bird’s eye view of Nainital and also the snow covered, glittering Himalayas. The peak is about six kilometers away from the main town area. Naina Peak is also a very good trekking spot. Other beautiful treks include Dorothy Seat, popularly known as the Tiffin Top, Snow View and Land’s End.Nainital also has the lovely church St. John-In-The-Wilderness, which has a beautiful interior with stained glass windows. Also something to check out is the Raj Bhavan, the government house of Nainital, which was modeled after Buckingham Palace and displays the Gothic style of architecture. The Kilbury sanctorum of bio diversity is another bog draw for Nainital tourism. It is a nature lover’s delight and harbors a wide variety of birds. When you visit Nainital, it is a good idea to visit come of the adjoining cities like Bhimtal, Kasauni, Almora, Haldwani, and Ranikhet in the same go as these are at a stone’s throw from Nainital. Each of these places has its own beauty and specialty and is a paradise on its own.Apart from these places of tourist interest, there are other activities and adventures around town, such as playing Himalayan mini golf, horse riding, river rafting, mountain climbing, boating, and traveling through the rope way. The rope way is a cable car that connects Snow View to the town below. It is made in collaboration with the Swiss and has a very steep ascend and descend. The ropeway offers a beautiful scenic view of the town.And when you are done with these activities there is always the Mall Road. As found in many other hill stations the Mall Road is the main road which runs through the heart of the town parallel to the lake connecting the two ends of the town. It is an extremely relaxing experience to have a stroll down the road any time of day. Another interesting spot of tourist interest is the Jim Corbett National Park. Though it is a little over one-hundred kilometers from Nainital, it is very entertaining if you have the time to spare. The Park is a wildlife sanctuary named after the famous hunter Jim Corbett, and is home to a variety of animals and birds. It is India's first National park and is spread over an area of about five-hundred-and-twenty-five square kilometers. It is specially known as a habitat for tigers, elephants, panthers and deer. The park boasts over 500 varieties of birds and many types of reptiles including pythons, crocodiles and several species of lizards and snakes.

Nainital Getting There and Around

Nainital is situated at a distance of 34 kilometers from Kathgodam, which is a terminus of the North Eastern Railways and also the nearest railway station from Nainital. From Kathgodam one needs to either travel by bus or by taxis and cars to reach Nainital.

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