Nainital is one of India’s premier hill-resorts. It is a small tourist-town and a district in the state of Uttarakhand, which is set on a beautiful valley that has a pear-shaped lake. It is one of the most-beautiful places in the country and sees a large influx of travellers throughout the year. It has an altitude of about 6,837 ft. above the sea-level and is perched on the Kumaon foothills of the outer Himalayan Range. This explains the pleasant and-cool weather of Nainital that remains so across the year. The pear-shaped lake is the most popular attraction of the city. It is a tranquil natural lake of approximately two miles in area and is set in the middle of the mountains. Apparently, the lake shape also resembles to a human eye and there is a popular belief that it is in the lake where fell the charred eyes of Mata Sati while Lord Shiva was carrying her lifeless body. It is based on this religious belief that the lake came to derive the name, “Naini”.
The town has been primarily accounted for the legends and myths related to religion. There is another religious belief associated with the lake. It states that since the city had no source of water so three sages dug-up a large hole in the ground and filled it with the water that they brought from the Mansarovar Lake, which is in Tibet. Even today, taking a dip in the lake is considered to be auspicious. It is believed that doing that washes-off one’s lifetime of sins.
There is a highly revered temple on the north-shore of the lake. The temple is dedicated to Mata Sati and is called Nanda Devi Temple. Visiting the temple and worshiping the goddess is one of the prime activities amongst the travellers of Nainital. The temple is supposed to house one of the 64 Shakti Peethas of the goddess. The temple and the lake are also the two most-prominent attractions of the Nainital tourism. The good thing is that the Lake-Side is the area where exist a number of good hotels in Nainital. These hotels are known for offering a satisfactory stay along with great views of the lake and the obvious advantage of close-proximity to the Nanda Devi temple. Rich with nature, the town’s majority of area is capped by greenery. Beautiful hillocks, serene lake, grassy fields, and small colorful houses dotting the regions define the town. The tops of the highest peaks offer the best views of the entire region. Naina Peak or the China Peak is the highest peak. It is perfect for trekking, and offers the best natural-settings to render the town into pictures.
Nainital is founded by the British. Although the regions were inhabited by the indigenous villages before the British arrived here, it is primarily the Britishers who popularized the town as a beautiful-summer resort. There still exist some old remnants from their era offering a glance at the colonial history of the town. A walk through the old churches, a clock tower, bungalows, schools, and street-squares is the activity that simply worth. A couple of most significant attractions of the town include: Raj Bhawan, Tiffin Top, Eco Cave Gardens, Snow View, St. John’s Church, Gurney House, Lands’ End, Sattal, and Nainital Zoo. Simply head to the town for a relaxing-fun holiday and pick your choice from the best hotels or lodges. The 3 star hotels in Nainital are popular choices as they are widely known for offering value-for-money-stay.