Nainital

Nanital also known as Naini Tal, is a popular hill station in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and headquarters of Nainital district in the Kumaon foothills of the outer Himalayas. Situated at an altitude of 2,084 metres (6,837 ft) above sea level, Nainital is set in a valley containing a mango-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, bound by the great snowy range which forms the central axis of the Himalayas.

Geography and climate

Nainital is located at 29.38°N 79.45°E.^] The slopes of the nearby mountains are most populated, with an elevation ranging from 1,940–2,100 m (6,360–6,890 ft). The highest point nearby is Naina Peak or China Peak, with an elevation of 2,619 m (8,593 ft)

Nainital experiences subtropical highland climate (Cwb) according to Köppen–Geiger climate classification system as the city's climate is influenced by the elevation. The city is a bit dry during winter and very wet during summer due to South Asian monsoon system. The lowest precipitation total occurs in November with total 7.9 millimetres (0.31 in), while the highest precipitation total occurs in July with total 725 millimetres (28.5 in). Like most places in temperate region, Nainital has relative cool summer. The hottest month is July with temperature ranging from 16.4 °C (61.5 °F) to 23.5 °C (74.3 °F), while the coldest month is January with temperature ranging from 1.7 °C (35.1 °F) to 10.7 °C (51.3 °F).

Nainital is said to be one the best shining diamonds of Himalayan Belt. This city has 3 major lakes that contribute to make it cool and calm throughout the year.

Mythology

It is believed that the Naini Lake is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths, or The most popular is based on the story of the death of the goddess Sati. Out of grief and sorrow, Shiva carried Sati's body, reminiscing about their moments as a couple, and roamed around the universe with it. Vishnu had cut her body into 52 body parts, using his Sudarshana Chakra, which fell on Earth to become sacred sites where all the people can pay homage to the Goddess. The spot where Sati's eyes (or Nain) fell, came to be called Nain-tal or lake of the eye. The goddess Shakti is worshiped at the Naina Devi Temple, known by locals as Naini Mata Temple on the north shore of the present day lake.

Famous Landmarks

A popular hill station, Nainital has numerous tourist spots:

Nainital Lake

Himalaya Darshan & Echo Zone

Naina Peak {8622 ft. From Sea level}

Tiffin Top

Snow View Point

Gurney House

Gurdwara Singh Sabha

Naina Devi Temple

Cave Garden

Sat Tal

Hanumangarhi

Mall Road

Pt. G.B. Pant High Altitude Zoo, Nainital

Himalaya Darshan

St. John’s Church

Kilbury

Thandi Road

Tibetan Market

Notable people

Billy Arjan Singh, Tiger Conservationist of India, Educated in Nainital.^[14]

Amitabh Bachchan, Bollywood actor. Educated at Sherwood College.

Kabir Bedi, Bollywood Actor. Educated at Sherwood College.

Jim Corbett, hunter of man-eating tigers, author, conservationist and namesake of Jim Corbett National Park. Educated at St. Joseph's College.

Danny Denzongpa, Bollywood actor studied in Birla Vidya Mandir

Percy Hobart, British major general and military engineer

Elsie Inglis, physician and social reformer

Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay, first secretary general of NATO

Anup Jalota, singer

Sukirti Kandpal, TV actress

Sudhir Kakar, renowned psychoanalyst

Sam Manekshaw, Indian Army Chief of Staff during Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Educated at Sherwood College.

Eric Maturin, British actor

Lalit Modi, Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman. Educated at St. Joseph's College.

Rajendra K. Pachauri, chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Manish Pandey, cricketer who plays for Karnataka and Bangalore

Nirmal Pandey, Bollywood actor and singer

Ram Kapoor, TV actor. Educated at Sherwood College.

Govind Ballabh Pant, statesman and leader of India's independence movement, first Indian Premier of British India, the first Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and the third Home Minister of India

Krishna Chandra Pant, former Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of India. Educated at St. Joseph's College.

Naseeruddin Shah, Bollywood actor. Educated at St. Joseph's College.

Som Nath Sharma, India's first Param Vir Chakra award winner. Educated at Sherwood College.

Shivani, Hindi poet

Dilip Tahil, Bollywood actor. Educated at Sherwood College.

Narayan Dutt Tiwari, Indian leader and politician, former Governor of Andhra Pradesh, former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, and former Finance Minister of India.

Orde Charles Wingate, British general and commander of the Chindits in Burma during World War II