Monday, September 1, 2008

Nainital - Not Just a Lake



Nainital, known for its idyllic beauty and a placid lake is situated at a height of 6,300 ft. in Kumaon region of Uttarakhand state in India. Nainital, a 100 year old hill station, known for mountains silhouetted against the blue sky is set in a valley around the Naini Jheel. Nainital a favourite among Britishers and home to famous Jim Corbett for many years, has expanded quite a bit since then but the beauty still remains. You no longer come across bears and tigers in the surrounding forests but the walks along these forest trails are still intersting.



History: Nainital was first explored by a Sugar merchant, Mr. Barron and it soon became a popular hill station for people wanting to escape from the summer heat of the plains. It is believed that Nainital figures in the Skanda Puranas as Tririshi Sarovar and is also referred to as one of the 64 Shaktipeeths. It is also believed that eye of Sati fell here while Lord Shiva was carrying her over the Himalayas. This story probably also explains the shape of Naini Jheel which resembels an eye and why its named Nain (Eye) Tal (Lake). Quite interesting...!!!



Nainital is set in two parts - Taillital (South Point) and Mallital (North Point). Most of the good hotels are located in the VIP area of Mallital which is about 1.5 kms from the Lake/Mall. Taliital is close to a Bus Stand and hence full bustling activities. The Mall Road lies between these two points and full of tourist activities and shops popular for Imported goods.



Things to do: Boating, Dorothy Seat, Governor House, China Peak, Ropeway, Snow View and Himalaya Darshan. Nainital's strategic location, within a close range of the Himalayas, also makes it an excellent base for exploring some of the other beautiful regions in Kumaon - Ranikhet, Corbett and Almora.



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