Nainital is a popular hill station in Uttarakhand, India. It is located at an elevation of 6,837 feet in the Kumaon region. Some key facts:
- The town has scenic views of the Himalayas and several lakes, including Naini Lake which is shaped like a pear.
- The climate is mild year-round with summer temperatures between 17-27C and winter between -3 to 15C.
- Popular attractions include Naina Devi Temple, Hanumangarhi Temple, Naini Lake, and viewpoints like Snow View.
- The area has a number of hotels and resorts like Rewa Retreat to choose
4. Nainital is a part of Kumaun Division
in the state of Uttaranchal. It lies in the
outer Himalayan Mountain Range. The
town is the administrative headquarter
of the district of the same name. The
town is famous for its scenic
mountainous views and is one of the
most popular hill stations in India.
Location of Nainital
Nainital lies at an elevation of 6,837
feet (2,084 meters). It is nestled in a
basin which houses a lagoon with the
form of a pear. The perimeter of the
water body or lagoon is around two
miles and it is bordered by a number of
peaks.
Geographic and Topographic Aspects :
The mean elevation of the town is 6,837 feet
(2,084 meters). Geographically, the town can be
divided into two parts – Mallital and Tallital.
Mallital is the northern side of the lake and Tallital
is the southern fringes of the lake.
Climate :
Summers: Min: 17 C , Max : 27 C
Winters: Min: -3 C, Max: 15 C
Area:
5 sq miles or 11.73 km2
Population:
The town featured a population of 38,559, which is
reported by the census conducted in 2011. Most of
the people belong to the Kumaoni community.
5. TOURISM IN NAINITAL
Nainital is a hill town situated in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.
It is situated at an height of 1938 meters.
Nainital tourism offers the visitor a
memorable stay anytime of the year.
It is one of the most prominent hill
resorts in the Indian subcontinent.
Nainital tourism flourishes during the
summer months i.e from April to Nov,
when visitors from the plains come to
Nainital to escape the blazing heat
of the Indian summer.
Nainital tourism provides for boating and yachting in Naina lake, Beautiful sight seeing
and places. Fishing is also permitted with prior permission from the local authorites.
8. Naini Lake
It is a natural freshwater lake, of tectonic
origin, located amidst Nainital city of
Uttarakhand. It is lunar-shaped and has an
outlet at the southeastern end. Naini Lake
is one of the four lakes in Kumaon hills,
the three other being Sattal Lake, Bhimtal
Lake and Naukuchiyatal Lake.
It’s a major tourist attraction.
Khurpa Tal
Literally Trowel Lake, is an attractive lake
about 10 km by road from Nainital at an
altitude of 1,635 m. It is popular with anglers
and is surrounded by terraced fields (or farms),
from which it presumably gets its name.
9. Bhimtal Lake -
Situated 22 km from the city center, it is the biggest lake of Nainital. The lake, which is
larger than Naini Lake, is at an altitude of 1,370 m. There is an island in the lake with a
popular restaurant on it. There is also a 17th century temple complex, the Bhimeshwar,
alongside a 40 ft (12 m) high dam at one end of the lake.
10. Sattal:
Literally Seven Lakes, is at a distance of about
23 km from Nainital . It is a cluster of small
interconnected lakes in the midst of an old oak
forest. On approaching Sattal, the first lake
encountered is the Nal-Damyanti Lake; next it is
the Panna lake; and finally there is a cluster of three
lakes:
Ram, Laxman, and Sita lakes.
Naukuchia Tal:
Literally, Nine-Cornered Lake, is 26 km from Nainital
and 4 km from Bhimtal. The lake is almost 1 km long,
0.5 km wide and approximately 40 m deep. It is the
deepest of the lakes in the greater Nainital area.
According to legend, if one takes in all nine corners in
one glimpse, one can disappear in a cloud of smoke.
12. Nanda Devi Temple :
The temple is named after Naina Devi (another
name for Sati) as the word ―Naina‖ is
synonymous to Sati’s Eyes.The temple is located
on the northern shore of Naini lake.
The presiding deity of the temple is Maa
Naina Devi represented by two Netras or eyes.
This religious place of worship lies on the
northern banks of the Naini lake. Inside the
temple, devotees have darshan of three deities. On
the extreme left, is Maa Kali Devi, the centre
representing two netras or eyes is Maa Nanda
Devi and to the right is idol of Lord Ganesh.
13. Hanumangarhi :
It is located at an altitude 1,951m. The
presiding deity of the temple is
Lord Hanuman and he is depicted tearing
open his chest to reveal Rama and Sita in
his heart. Hanuman Garhi is also known for
its spectacular views of the setting sun.
Ghorakhal:
It is at the height of more than 2000 mts. It is
situated near Bhowali. The famous Golu Devta
temple is surrounded by bells.
14. St. John in the Wilderness:
Established in the ancient period of 1844, St
John’s Church in the Wilderness is located on
the northern end of Nainital, also referred to
as Mallital. This church is situated close to
the Naina Devi Temple.
The story as per the pages of history dates
back to the year 1844 when the Bishop of
Calcutta, Daniel Wilson, had come on a visit
to lay the foundation of the church. Since he
fell ill, he had to rest in an unfinished house
near the forest. Thus the church was named as
St. John in the Wilderness Church. This
church is a memorial for the victims of the
1880 landslide; the names of the victims are
inscribed on a brass plaque.
16. Lover’s Point:
Lover’s Point and Suicide Point are
two nearby viewpoints
in Nainital which are famous for the
scenic views they provide. The
Lovers Point is genuinely romantic
and extremely appreciated by
couples in love. Liked and
frequented by tourists because of
their beauty and height, it is however
unfortunate that few people have
killed themselves by jumping off
Suicide Point. Nonetheless, the view
from Suicide Point is no less
exciting than the one from Lovers
Point.
17. Snow View:
It is situated at an altitude of 2,270 and located atop the Sher-ka-danda Ridge, is easily
reachable by cable car. Charges for cable car is Rs. 150 per person, Rs. 75 for child for
stay for one hour at the point. Timings are 10.00a.m. to 5.00p.m. On a clear day, it offers
spectacular views of the snowbound high Himalaya, including Naina Devi, Nanda Kot.
The best time of the year for viewing the mountains is late October and November.
It’s very famous among young couples and children.
19. Governor’s House (Raj
Bhavan):
Formerly, Government House was
built in 1899 and designed in
the Victorian Gothic domestic style.
Currently, Raj Bhavan is the official
guest house for the governor
of Uttarakhand and for visiting state
guests. The complex consists of a two-
storied mansion with 113 rooms, a
large garden, a swimming pool, and
golf links. Obtaining prior permission
is must for visiting.
20. Tiffin Top (Dorothy's Seat):
This terraced hill top (2,292 m) is a stonework
picnic perch on Tiffin in memory of an English
lady Mrs. Kellet Dorothy, who was killed in an
air crash. It is a short trek of about 3 kms from
Nainital and provides excellent view of the
Himalayas and the town.
You can Visit this Place By Horseback Or On
foot. For visiting this popular tourist spot, you
need to go by car and reach Sherwood College.
Gurney House:
The former residence, of Jim Corbett,, is located
on Aryapatta Hill. It is a private residence but is
open to visitors as a museum of Corbett
memorabilia.
21. Four schools from the British period continue to exist today:
Sherwood College, established 1869
All Saints' College, established 1869
St. Mary's Convent High School established 1878
St. Joseph's College established 1888
ARIES (State Observatory)
The 50-year old State Observatory at Nainital was reborn in 2004 as ARIES,
the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences.
In 1961 it was moved to its present location from Varanasi—Manora Peak
(1,951 m) —a few km south of the Nainital town. ARIES's main objective is to
provide national optical observing facilities for research in astronomy,
astrophysics, and the atmospheric sciences.
23. • Corbett National park
Corbett is considered one of India’s finest wild life sanctuaries. Corbett is
famous for its remarkable variety of wild life species notably tigers, elephants,
Leopards, chausingha or four horned antelopes including some 110 tree
species, 50 mammals' species, 580 bird species and 25 reptile species. Major
attractions in Jim Corbett National Park are: grasslands- ideal for viewing deer
and other wild lives, located by the Ramganga reservoir. Gharial is a species
that can be seen on the banks of the Ramganga reservoir.
• Binsar Wildlife Sanactuary
The wildlife observed here includes Goral, Leopards, Chital, Musk deer,
Jungle cat, Black bear, flying squirrels and many more. It is the home of over
200 species of birds Binsar is a small town about 33 Km north of the Almora
district and famous for its own small but special wildlife habitat surrounded by
beautiful and quiet destination rich with dense forests like Tits, woodpeckers,
parakeets, blackbirds and eagles.
24. Pt. G.B. Pant High Altitude Zoo:
Opened in 1994, it is one of the two High altitude Zoo in India. It
houses various Phesants e.g. Kaleej Phesant etc.; high altitude
endangered Mammals like Siberian Tiger, Snow Leopard, Goat
Antelope- Ghooral and Serao etc. The animals are according to
their habitat altitude, e.g. Snow Leopard is kept on the highest
point.
26. Some of the adventures sports in Nainital
include trekking, river rafting, sailing,
yachting, sky diving, Canoeing, , and
rock climbing.
If you want to be in the shoes of a bird
and want to fly, then paragliding is a
great option. You can also have a glance
at the enthralling beauty of Nainital from
the sky.
These sports are not only thrilling but they also help you to go beyond your set limits.
Such activities are great confidence boosters and fear removers.
28. THE MALL:
Most of the shopping is centralized around the Mall area.
Shop for woolens - shawls and sweaters at Bohtia Bazaar.
Candles are another item which are sold in Nainital and most tourist
carry back a few - these are best bought at the Mall.
Nainital is also known for wooden decorative items.
29. FAMOUS DANCES
Traditional songs and Dances
Musical instruments like the Hurka, Turturi and Dhol are played by the people.
Dances like the Chholia Nritya, a traditional war dance with a sword and shield,
the Jhora, a group dance. Folk songs are usually devotional and have heroic
mythological themes.
30. CUISINE
• Traditional food consists of Kheer,
Singhal, Poori, Pua, Bada, Kapa made of
Palak, Raita, Khatai etc.
• The other typical kumouni foods are
Chudkani & Bhattiya made of bhatt & Soya
been, Gautras made of Gahat, Jholee made
from mattha.
• The sweets involve Baal Mithai, Singaudi.
31. HOW TO REACH
NAINITAL
By Train (Railways)
Kathgodam is the closest railhead and
it is located at a distance of 35 km.
Taxis are available from Kathgodam
against fares of Rs. 250-300 to the town.
In addition, you can avail shared taxis.
The following trains carry passengers to Nainital:
•Delhi to Kathgodam Uttarakhand Sampark Kranti Express
•Delhi to Kathgodam Ranikhet Express
•Dehradun-Kathgodam Express - Starts from Dehradun, passes through Haridwar, and
stops at Kathgodam
32. By road
Uttarakhand Roadways run regular bus
services from Delhi. The buses start from The
Interstate Bus Terminus in Anand Vihar. By
car, getting to Nainital takes approximately 7
to 8 hours. From the national capital, travelers
can take the NH 24, which links Delhi to
Rampur through Hapur. The taxi fare from
Delhi is approximately Rs.1,100-1,200.
By Air
As opposed to common concept, a flight to
Nainital is the speediest means to arrive at the
place. It takes around 2 hours to reach the Pant
Nagar Airport. Kingfisher Airlines and Jagson
Airlines are the two principal carriers that fly
to Nainital.
33. DO’S AND DON’TS
• Refrain from taking too much much of cash as the place is dotted with several ATM’s
and major banks.
• It is advisable to drive slowly in the hilly areas.
• Abstain from indulging any kind of misbehaviour in the crowded place.
• Nainital has five seasons and therefore do check the type of clothing .
• It is mandatory to wear life jackets while taking any boat rides.
• It is advisable to keep Identity Card to avoid any harrasment.
• Avoid throwing cigarette buts hither and tither to avoid any accident in the dense forest
and hills of Nainital.
• Avoid parking any vehilce on the Mall Road as Mall Road is a no Parking area.
• Swimming is banned in Nainital Lake.
• Plastic Polythene Bags is banned in Nainital.
• If traveling in May-June, the peak season, it is advisable to make reservation of hotel in
advance.
34. Where To Stay
Interiors are a taste full mix of high wooden ceilings; tinned
roof and pinewood flooring that give the perfect feel of the
classic mountain house. Decorating the halls and catching the
eye of the visitor are the many fascinating art deco items that
reflect the exotic and sophisticated taste of it’s owners from
different times.
Wordsworth Cottage
Rewa Retreat, Bhowali is situated at an altitude of 1,750 meters.
This is in a hamlet situated in the midst of the lake district of
Nainital. It is the sole gateway into the Kumaon region of
Uttarakhand on the Kathgodam, Ranikhet/ Almora Highway.
There are 8 rooms in 3 different categories - Premier Rooms
(Agra, Allahabad, Benares), Premier Studio Rooms (Cawnpore,
Delhi) and Deluxe Suite (Gwalior, Jeypore, Almora).
Know More About Nainital Resorts visit :
http://www.theotherhome.com/properties/nainital.aspx
Rewa Retreat
35. THANK YOU
The Other Home
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Adventure)
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