Nanital a Heaven for Tourists

Nainital popularly known as the, ‘lake district of India’ and is situated in Uttranchal. The word Nainital means, ‘Naini’ meaning ‘the eye’ and ‘Tal meaning ‘the Lake’. The word Naini is derived from the Goddess Naina, the temple was built on the upper edge of the lake however it got destroyed by the landside which took place in the year 1880. Nainital was earlier the summer headquarters of the British. The natural beauty and the Naini Lake makes it the famous tourist destination.

Places of Interest:

Naini Lake:
One of the famous tourist attractions of Nainital is the Naini Lake also called as the Tririshi Lake. It is one of the most beautiful lakes in Nainital where one can also enjoy the boat ride here. The Nainital Boat Club also offers yachting facilities and an annual kingfisher yachting competition is held on the third week of June every year which adds to the beauty of the lake.

Bhim Tal:
It is a beautiful island at the middle of the lake which is one of the main tourist attractions in Nainital. The vast lake below the hill offers boating and fishing facilities to the tourists. It is just a few kms away from Nainital.

Snow View:
It is located just 2 kms from Nainital, it is 2200 mts high. One can view the beautiful Himalayan range from this point. The aerial ropeway which is been introduced from the town to the top of the peak and a cable car ride gives a thrilling and an everlasting experience in one’s mind.

Hanumangarh and Observatory:
It is located 3 kms away and a temple which is dedicated to Lord Hanuman is situated here. It is one of the famous temples here. The sunset view from this point is considered to be beautiful. The observatory with 105 cms reflecting telescope is located here.

Naina Peak:
It is also popularly called as the Chenna Peak which is just 6 kms from Nainital. The peak is approximated located at a height of 2600 mts. It is the best place for trekking. The view of the Himalayas and the beautiful city is seen from this peak.

Festivals in Nainital

Nainital is a cosmopolitan locality and abounds faiths and believes associated with various and sects of people living here through generations. The sixteen sankars of life as enunicated in Hindu religion are observed with slight modifications and amendenments which make the Kumaoni style of observance.Hill temples are the monuments having admixture of deep sense of art and culture. Sculpture varies with time of inception of the temple.The mode of worship is also different in many aspects from that of the plains. Modern day temples are more alike the temples of the plains, and the older ones fit to the Kumaoni influence.

These temples act as the nucleus of the social and cultural activities. After harvesting season people mostly relax,rejoice, fance and sing thus a festivals is generated. At the transition of sun from one constellation to another Sankranti is observed. Each sankranti has a fair or festival connected to it somewhere in Kumaon.

Phooldeyi or Phooldeli (Approx.14th March),

Bikhauti (Approx 14 April),

Hariyala (Approx 16th July),

Gheeya Sankranti or Olgia (Approx 16th Aug),

Khatarua (Approx 17th Sep.),

Uttarani or Kale Kaua (Approx 14 January),

Basant Panchami,

Samvastar Pareva and Batsavitri are the mostly observed Sankranties throughout the region.

NAINA DEVI TEMPLE, NAINITAL

The Nainital Holy Place

The Naina Devi Temple was destroyed by the landslip of 1880 and later rebuilt. It 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. Flanking Naina Devi are the deities of Mata Kali and Lord Ganesha.

Since then, devotees started visiting this temple. Once the devotee reaches the hill top, prasad can be bought from any of the various shops or it can also one's own offerings from home. After crossing the main gate, there is a big Peepal tree on the left side. On the right side of the temple there are idols of Lord Hanuman Ji and Ganesh Ji. After reaching the main entrance of the temple, there are two statues of lions. Indeed its refers to one of the best holy cities like jaipur "The Pink City".

History Of Nainital Lake

Nainital is a town in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and headquarters of Nainital district in the Kumaon foothills of the outer Himalayas. Situated at an altitude of 1,938 metres (6,358 feet) above sea level, Nainital is set in a valley containing a pear-shaped lake, approximately two miles in circumference, and surrounded by mountains, of which the highest are Naina (2,615 m (8,579 ft)) on the north, Deopatha (2,438 m (7,999 ft)) on the west, and Ayarpatha (2,278 m (7,474 ft)) on the south. From the tops of the higher peaks, "magnificent views can be obtained of the vast plain to the south, or of the mass of tangled ridges lying north, bounded by the great snowy range which forms the central axis of the Himalayas."

It is believed that Nainital figures in some ancient myths of India. In the Manas Khand of the Skand Puranas, Nainital Lake is called Tri-Rishi-Sarovar, hinting at the story of three sages (or rishis), Atri, Pulastya and Pulaha, who, upon finding no water in Nainital, dug a large hole at the location of the present day lake (sarovar = lake) and filled it with water from the holy lake Manasarovar in Tibet. According to lore, a dip in Naini Lake, "the lesser Manasarovar," earns merit equal to a dip in the great lake.It is also believed that Naini Lake is one of the 64 Shakti Peeths, or religious sites where parts of the charred body of Sati (Parvati) fell on earth while being carried by Lord Shiva. The spot where Sati's eyes (or Nain) fell, came to be called Nain-tal or [lake of the eye.] The goddess Shakti is worshipped at the Naina Devi Temple on the north shore of the present day lake.