
Nainital: The City of Lake
NAINITAL, a beautiful hill station in uttarakhand. It is also called sarovar nagri (city of lakes). It is located in the kumaon region of the outer Himalayas at a distance of 285km from the state capital Dehradun.It is famous for its dense forest, traditional and historical culture. It has numerous tourist spots including Naini Lake, China Peak/ Naina Peak (2,619 m), Naina Devi Temple, Eco zone, Zoo, Tiffin Top, Aryabhatt research institute of observational science.
Nainital is a mountaneous city, home of numerous lakes and high peaks of the Himalayas. It is surrounded by three sides by Tiffin Top, China Peak, Ladiyakanta, Snow View, Sher ka danda and many more. The hieghest peak in Nanital is China Peak.
Some details of the city are as following.
The city of Nainital covers a total area of 11.73sq. km(4.53 sqmi), and is located at 29.395° N 79.449°E at an average elelvation of 2,084 m.(6,837 ft.) above the sea level. The highest point is the China Peak, with an elevation of 2,619m (8,593ft0. The name “City of Lake” is given because of the presence of many beautiful lakes some of the famous lakes are, Bhimtal, Sattal, Khurpatal, Sukhatal, Gaurtal, Sariyatal and so on..
History: The Kumaun hills come under the British rule after the Anglo-Nepalese war (1814-16). The hill station, town of nainital was founded only in 1841 by P. Barron, a sugar trader from shahjahanpur. In his book he wrote, “it is the best site I have witnessed in the course of 1500 miles track in The Himalayas”.
Best time to visit:Due to its elevation you will always find a cold weather and freezy wind but the winter season in Nainital commences by mid October, and lasts till mid march. Jaunary is the coldest month. Frost and mist and snow comes in the month of December and January.
If you are a Snow lover, you must come in the month of December and January otherwise the best months to visit Nainital is between march to august. Here u will find beautiful Himalayan birds and different kinds of flora.
Best places to visit:
- Naina Devi Temple:It is situated on the bank of Naini Lake in Mallital, Nanital. It is a well-known shakti peeth of hindu religion. Goddess Naini Devi is diety of Naina Devi temple. People come from far away to take the blessing of Naina Devi maa. You should also come and feel the positivity.
- China Peak:It is approximately 5.5 km away from the city.The best time to go there is at sunrise and sunset to see the mesmerising beauty of the Himalayas.
- Tiffin Top: You can go there for the morning walk. While going there u will find lush green devdar and pine forest. After 6-7 km. walk from the city you will reach the Maggie point. There u can enjoy the beauty of Nainital with hot Maggie. You can also hire a horse to reach there. You can also do lots of other acitivities like photoshoot, hiking. Always Keep your water bottle with u to avoid dehydration.
- Snow View: If you want to see snow-covered mountain tops emerging from clouds and the beauty of sunlight, snow view is your destination. It is 2km away from Nainital city. The snow viewpoint does justice to its name and gives you a mesmerising view of these hilltops. It is one of the best sightseeing places in Nainital. If you are going by the ropeway the beauty of Nainital will increase your excitement level. At the top of the snow view point, u will get a huge pair of binoculars. It is installed for tourists to have a closer view of snow-covered peaks and ticket of the ropeway is reasonable. Again do not forget your water bottle.
There are many more places to visit
- Zoo
- Naini Lake
- Himalaya Darshan
- Zama Maszid
- Cave Garden
- Raj Bhavan
- Ayarpata
- Camel Peak
Market: The famous local market of Nainital is the Tibbatian market which is situated near the bank of Naini Lake in front of Naina Devi temple. so here are a lot of things to buy. But do not forget to bargain.
- Bags
- Handicrafts
- Wooden crafts
- Wax candles
- Earrings/woollen jackets/cloths
Food: You can get varieties of food like North Indian, South Indian, Chinese and many more.From traditional paradise restaurants to cool cafes and unforgettable street food. Nainital has all your food carvings but the speciality of Chinese food of Nainital is awesome like “momos of Sonam” yummmm!
Best things to do in Nainital:
- Photography
- Boatin
- Paragliding
- Tracking
- Hiking
Is Nainital safe for tourists: Yes, Nainital is safe to travel alone even for the female traveller. The local people of Nainital are very kind and friendly.
Is Nainital expensive to visit: No, not at all. Cheap food and accommodation are widely available if you don’t mind basic accommodation stick to your budget and bargain as much as you can.
How to reach–
Distance from Delhi to Nainital by car is around 330 km.
The nearest Railway station is Kathgodam, around 35km away from Nainital. From here u can get a city bus or taxi.
The nearest airport is Pantnagar Airport, around 70km away from Nainital. From here u can get a taxi or bus.
Fair Organised
Shardotshav: It is celebrated every year in the month of November. Famous celebrities and artists are invited from different places to perform here.
Hariyali Fair: This fair is organised on harela, a festival of Uttarakhand. It falls on the first day of Navratri in the month of Chaitra (July).
Nanda Devi Fair: Nanda Devi Mahotsav is celebrated all across the Kumaon region. It is a cultural carnival celebrated in the month of September. It is a weak long festival held at Nanda Devi temple. Many people come from different places to enjoy this festival. Stalls are opened by the local people for selling their own handicrafts. The best thing to see is the mixture of folk dance, song and local culture. The” dola yatra” is joined by the local people and tourists on the last day of the fair.
Guidelines: In season time Nainital is almost packed. Vehicles are restricted on mall road in the summer and autumn. One can park his/her vehicle in the mallital, taxi stand in tallit. From 1 May to 5 July private cars are not allowed to enter Nainital. besides this some hotels provide parking for their customers. In season time you should avoid your personal vehicle and use public transport. Yet you are coming with your personal vehicle there is some parking outside the city near Kaladhungi and Haldwani, you can park your vehicle over there.