Nainital is tourist’s favourite pick when it comes to vacations. It is the district headquarters. The city lies in the foothills of Kumaon Hills in the outer Himalayas. There are various reasons to put Nainital, to your list of must go places like trekking, shopping, ropeway, boating, picnic and sightseeing. It is also a hub spot for those seeking spiritual centre for tranquility. Nainital got its name from the mythological story involving Goddess Shakti (Sati) and Lord Shiva. The story unfolds when in a Yajna done by her father Daksha, Shiva and Parvati were not invited, in the anger of her insult, she jumped into the flames of Yajna. Later Shiva in an act of fury took her body to Kailash Parvat, as the body was charred due to flames, the severed body parts of Goddess Shakti (Parvati), fell in various parts of India, these places are called Shakti Peeths. The place where the Nain (eye) fell is now known as the Naini Lake, Nainital got its name through this. It is supposedly of green colour due to the eye of Goddess Shakti being there. The Europeans eyed it in late 1880’s and created it into a tourist spot by habitation.
Being one of the most preferred names in the tourists’ lists, there are many options to reach here. Nainital to Delhi connectivity by road can be through NH87, it is around 300kms and takes about 9 hours drive to reach here. You will find many buses which will take you to Nainital. Yo can board flight till Delhi or the other nearest airport is Pantnagar which is 70kms from Naintal. But you may have to check, Pantnagar is a small airport, thus commercial flights are not common there. You can get there from the Kathgodham Railway station too, which is approximately 40kms from Nainital, many trains are frequent in there due to the growing popularity of the region.
There are many choices for you to get an accommodation here. During peak season, the rates are higher, but otherwise, you may get reasonable value for staying in there. Some of the hotels preferred by tourists are Hotel Krishna, Himalaya Hotel, Hotel Maharaja and Alka, the lakeside hotel. The Manu Maharani and Shervani Hilltop is the classic, elite and costly class of hotels. Hotel Anamika, Hotel Aroma and Kurmanchal Hotel are some of the budgeted hotels in Nainital. Most of the hotels are located near the lake, Naini.
The splendid Naini Lake is the spot for boating; even you can enjoy yachting here. For the shopping bugs there are set of local markets in the form of Bara Bazar, Mall Road outlets and Tibetan market. You can get clothes, artefacts, handicrafts and other knick knacks. Special items like scented candles, artificial jewellery and key chains are handpicked ones. All those searching a hangout place, the rope way zone is for you where you can enjoy the scenic beauty of places like Snow View Point, China Peak and Tiffin Top. The adventure seekers can look for the hiking trails which are spread across Nainital and around it like the Betalghat, Kainchi, Binayak and Snow View Trek. Not to forget the popular Jim Corbett Park.
It is well known as the China Peak, this is the highest peak in Nainital. It is located at an average elevation of 2,615 mts, above the sea level. This is an exotic place serving an amazing panoramic view of the entire valley.
It is a church which was found in the year 1844, being at the northern end of Nainital, it gives a beautiful view of mountains. It got the name when St. John, known to be the bishop of Calcutta had to sleep in an incomplete baron church. The place is post-card pretty!
It was established in the year 1984 and later in the year 1995 was opened for the general public. There are endangered species of birds and animals in the zoo. These are native of this area. You will find a Tibetan wolf, Snow Leopard and Himalayan Bear here.
These are interconnected patch of caves which lures a lot of tourists. It is an exciting place for kids especially. There are seven caves and while you walk through all you get is the visual treat where you can unwind yourself.
Contact the tour and travel agents and they will offer best of tour packages for Nainital, other than these there are many other mesmerizing spots in there. Some more places are Kilbury Bird Sanctuary, Lands’ End, Snow View, Gurney House and Tiffin Top.
Some of the “not to be missed” food in Nainital is momos, a huge variety of shops sell different types of momos. The Tibetan market is famous for the large variety of Tibetan food. There are many home cooked dishes, which you may get in small food outlets like: Steamed rice, Madwe Ki Roti, Bhatt ki Churkani, Baadi, Muli ka Thechua, Bhang ki chutney, Bhatt Ka Joula, Dhai ka Jaula, Gaderi Ki Sabji, Gauhat ki Daal, Peenalu Ki Sabji, Papad Ki Sabji, Gathi Lason Ka Lur, Bari Bhat, Kaapa Bhaat, Chanda Devi & Saladi ka Raita, Aloo Ke Gutke, Arsa, Gulgula, Malta, Kafhal, Pulam and khumani. Thukpas is also available at affordable rates and taste out of the world. Sonam Fast food is the nearest and the most preferred names among food zones here in Nainital. Give a kick start to the sweet tooth and relish the famous Bal Mithai from any sweet corner in there. If you frequent in Uttarakhand, you would know what it is to enjoy Bun Tikki? Right? Thus, Nainital is the hub of some spongy and tasty bun tikkis. Lakshmi Restaurant is one of the most preferred names among the food outlets in Nainital. Sakley’s is a renowned bakery in Nainital, there are many age old bakeries offering ultimate pastries. Among the high end food outlet, Boat House Club offers scrumptious food. Machan has been yet another top most choice, due to its ultimate ambiance and prompt service.
People here are down to Earth and close to religion. There is strict adherence to customs and culture here. People follow various rituals, agrees to auspicious and mourning days. There are some deities, you can say local deities, they are preached by almost all in the city. Majorly the people are Kumaoni, anyhow cultural mix & match is there. Some of the gods and goddesses preached here are: Bholanath, Sam, Nanda Devi, Sunanda Devi, Golu, Haru Kail Bisht, Adi, Gangnath and Naina Devi. Kumaoni and Garhwali speaking people constituting by and large the major population of Nainital, whereas Hindi and English are the secondary languages. People here are far from the fast and modish life, they keep it real simple & sombre. Females majorly wear sarees, but a really interesting custom outfit is the Ghaagra-Pichora with a beautiful nose ring (nath) and necklace (Hansuri).
Kumaon University and Uttarakhand Open University have their headquarters in Nainital. Aditya Yog Naturopathy Hospital and Research Institute, Amrapali Insititute (Of Applied Sciences, Hotel Management, Computer Applications, Technology and Science), ATDC, ARIES, Birla Institute of Applied Science, CEFA Insititute of Management Technology, Central of Technical Excellence, Directorate of Coldwater Fisheries Research, Graphic Era Hill University, IIMT, IAHTI, INIFD, IIFT, Jai Arihant Group of Colleges and MAAC are some of the famous names in Education stream in Nainital District. They impart high quality education, provide healthy environs for the child to grow and nurture a career in the best of his/her interest.
Temperature dips easily in Nanital, due to the snow clad mountains, the dense forests with the pear shaped Naini lake in its centre. The weather is pleasant throughout the season, it is best to visit in the summers, as you may get rid of the summer heat of the plain. The heat is still bearable, as the breeze is always pleasant and keeps the atmosphere beautifully. Usually in summers the fluctuation may be till 30 degrees, while the minimum dip may go to minus temperatures in winters. The frequent showers keep the city greener and exquisite always.
As people believe in the traditional foreplay of life. Here people celebrate a lot of festivals and gathers in a large number to attend the fairs held since ages in the city. To name some of the fairs and festivals in Nainital:
When you reach to the tourist spot, there can be a variety of issues, you may seek bank or ATMs. You may also need hospitals and health care centres. Thus, a listing handy with the itinerary would be great for you all.
The other thing you may need is the list of various hospitals and health care centres. The following may come as handy for you:
There is no end to the folk tales and folklores to the city of Nainital. It is surrounded by yet more scenic places like Almora, Ranikhet, Kilbury, Kathgodam, Pant Nagar, Peora Village, Kausani, Binsar, Pangot, Ramgarh and Mukteshwar. So, you must pick some dates and plan a trip to Nainital soon. Not just the trip would be filled with excursions, exciting yet peaceful moments, it would be a lifetime experience too.
There is nothing better than, simply walking down the lanes of Nainital, near the peaceful lake and the high peak mountains.
#It is the nature’s own creation!
