Nainital is a famous hill station in Uttarakhand, India. It is well-known for the beautiful green Naini Lake. The name comes from the lake whose name comes from the goddess Naina Devi.
Nainital is surrounded by the towering peaks of the Kumaon Hills. There are two parts to Nainital – Tallital and Mallital, with a lake separating them.
Naini lake is supposed to be one of the emerald green eyes of Shiva’s wife, Sati. A temple marks the spot where the eye is believed to have fallen. You can go on a boat ride around the lake.
A cable car can take you up the Snow View. At the top you can hike to the Naina peak or hire a horse to take you there. You can see a small monastery of which Dalai Lama is the leader.
There is a small charming zoo in Nainital. A beautiful walk to Tiffin top and Land’s end is also customary for visitors to do. You can take rock climbing courses at the Nainital Mountaineering Club.
Nainital is full of souvenir shops selling textiles, handicrafts and clothing. Intricately carved, multi coloured candles are a speciality.
Summer is the best time to visit – between May and July.
Nainital was founded in 1841. The settlement started with the construction of the European house by a sugar trader named P. Barron. As per the account of a Captain Madden of the Bengal Artillery in 1846, the settlement had seen remarkable growth by that time. The town of Nainital soon gained popularity among British soldiers and officials as a health resort and later on became the summer residence of the Governor of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh.
Nainital is well connected by bus to New Delhi which is the nearest airport. At a distance of 35km, Kathgodam is the nearest railway station.
Naini Lake is the prime attraction of Nainital. Located at the heart of the city, the pear-shaped lake is the most popular tourist spot in the city. You can either take advantage of the boating and other activities available at the lake or just indulge yourself in a leisurely walk by the lake enjoying the beauty of the lake and its surrounding.
Apart from the famed Naini Lake, there are several other lakes in the vicinity of Nainital and most notable of them are the Bhimtal Lake which is the biggest lake of Nainital and is located at a distance of 22km from the city and the Nakuchia Lake which is famous for having nine corners.
Naina Devi Temple is another famous tourist destination of Nainital. Regarded as one of the Shakti Peethas, this temple is one of the holiest shrines in the region and thousands of devotees visit the temple every year.
Nainital Zoo located in the hills of Sher ka Danda is another popular tourist destination. It is famous for housing some of several species of high altitude animals like the Snow Leopard, Siberian Tiger, Himalayan Black Bear, Barking Deer, Wolf etc.
Other prominent tourist atttract5ion of Nainital include the St. John's Church which was built in 1844, Governor's House (Raj Bhavan) built in 1899,Naina Peak which stands overlooking the Naini Lake and provides spectacular of Nainital and Snow View Point, which is an ideal location to enjoy the panoramic view of the snow covered Himalayas.
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