Nainital is the most famous city of Kumaon division, known for its mesmerizing beauty and the famous Naini Lake. It is a home to many lakes, which earns a nickname called ‘City of Lakes”. City connects well with the motorable to the major cities across the state. Being surrounded by majestic seven hills- Ayarpata, Deopata, Handi-Bandi, Naina, Alma, Lariya,-Kanta, and Sher-Ka-Danda, the city is also called ‘Sapta Shringa’. Sariyatal, Khurpatal, Naukuchiatal, Sattal Lake, Malwa Tal, Lokham Tal and Harish Tal are some renowned lakes that are often visited by tourists.
However, apart from the known places there are still many hidden gems in the city that are yet to be explored. Nainital’s cool and breezy weather welcomes tourists round the year. Here, tourists can engage in various adventurous activities, including trekking, camping, golfing, kayaking, boating, paragliding and hot air ballooning, which adds up to their excitement. Beyond its scenic beauty, Nainital is home to the revered Goddess Naina Devi. It draws a number of devotees who come to seek blessings of Maa Naina Devi, revered as a 51 Shakti Peeth.
As written in the Ved and Puranas, when Lord Shiva wandered with the charred body of Sati, her left eye fell at this place, giving rise to the name Nainital. When viewed from a high vantage point, the famous lake resembles an eye, hence earning the name Naini Lake. Additionally, the revered religious site ‘Kainchi Dham’ also throng with devotees. People from all over the world visit this site, to seek blessings of the Neeb Karori Baba. Maharaj ji strongly connected with Hanuman Ji and due to his devotion he earned the title ‘Miracle Baba’. His teaching and principles are simple yet powerful, which attracted notable people like Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and Julia Roberts. It is said that, whenever people in distress and seek some guidance often visit this place.
Nainital is home to India’s first national park, “Jim Corbett National Park”. It was named after the great writer and conservationist Jim Corbett, which attracts tourists round the year for jungle safari. During this, tourists can sight various wild animals including Tiger, Leopard, Bengal tiger, Asiatic elephant deer, bear and other varieties of animal including 650 plus species of birds. Over the years, Nainital has established itself as a prominent tourist destination, offering something for every age group to make their trip memorable. The city provides ample hotels, resorts and lodges to ensure a comfortable stay.
Furthermore, from Nainital, visitors may explore popular destinations such as Ghorakhal, Kaichi Dham, Bhimtal, Sattal Lake and Mukteshwar. With a population over 12 lakhs, Nainital is the 4th populated district of Uttarakhand. People primarily speak Kumauni language but Hindi, Punjabi, Garhwali and Urdu are also their most used languages. If we turn the chapter of Nainital, then it has been ruled by many rulers for years like Panchalas, Kushan Empire, Samudra Gupta and Guptas. Later, the Katyuri ruled the district for years, but their power started declining during the 10th century, which made way for the Chand dynasty. In the late 1800s, the area was under the Gorkhas rule, but the Britisher took its control during the Anglo Nepalese war.