Nainital

It is believed that the Naini Lake is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths, 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 right eye (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. ==History==

Early history Nainital has historically been a part of the Kumaon region. After the fall of Katyuri Dynasty in 10th century, Kumaon was divided into several small princely states, and the region around Nainital was under various branches of a Khasiya family. The first dynasty to achieve consolidated dominance over Kumaon after the Katyuris was the Chand dynasty, but it took many centuries and Nainital and its surroundings were one of the last areas to be absorbed. Trilok Chand had built a fort at Bhimtal in the thirteenth century, But at that time, Nainital itself was not under the Chand rule, and was situated near the western border of the Kingdom. During the reign of Udyan Chand, the western boundary of the Chand kingdom extended to the Koshi and Suyal rivers, but Ramgarh and Kota were still under the former Khasia rule. Kirat Chand, who ruled from 1488 to 1503 was finally able to establish authority over Nainital and the surrounding region. The Khasia chiefs made an attempt to regain their independence in 1560, when they enjoyed a brief moment of success under the leadership of a Khasiya of Ramgarh, but were later subdued with ruthlessness by Balo Kalyan Chand. In 1846, when a Captain Madden of the Bengal Artillery visited Naini Tal, he recorded that "houses were rapidly springing up in most parts of the settlement: some towards the crest of the military ranges were nearly above sea level: the rugged and woody Anyarpatta Aashish (Anyar-patt – in Kumaoni means – complete blackout. The reason for this nomenclature by the locals was because there were minimal sun rays due to its location and dense forests) was being gradually planted and that the favourite sites were on the undulating tract of forest land which stretched back from the head of the lake to the base of China and Deopatta (Camel's Hump). The church, St. John(1846) in the Wilderness, was one of the earliest buildings in Nainital, followed by Belvedere, Alma lodge, Ashdale Cottage(1860)..." Soon, the town became a health resort favoured by British soldiers and by colonial officials and their families trying to escape the heat of the plains. Later, the town became the summer residence of the governor of the United Provinces. Landslip of 1880 On 18 September 1880 a landslide ('the landslip of 1880') occurred at the north end of the town, burying 151 people. The first known landslide had occurred in 1866 (old Victoria hotel was destroyed), and in 1869 there was a larger one at the same spot, Alma Hill, but "the great slip" occurred on "Saturday 18 September 1880." ==Geography==

Topography The town of Nainital covers a total area of , and is located at , at an average elevation of above sea level. The slopes of the nearby mountains are most populated, with an altitude ranging from . The highest point nearby is the Naina Peak, with a height of . The town is located in the Kumaon foothills of the outer Himalayas at a distance of from the state capital Dehradun and from New Delhi, the capital of India. The town is set in a valley around the Nainital Lake - an eye-shaped lake, which is located at an altitude of from sea level. The lake is long and wide, and is approximately two miles in circumference. The bed of the lake is at a depth of , the deepest point of the lake. The lake is deduced to have been formed tectonically. Balia Nala, which is the main stream feeding the lake is along a fault line and the subsequent streams align parallel to major joints and faults. 26 major drains feed the lake including the 3 perennial drains. Nainital is surrounded by the mountains of Ayarpata (), Devpata (), Handibandi (), Chini, (), Alma (), Lariya Kanta () and Sher ka Danda (). Another heavy landslip occurred on 17 August 1898 outside the Nainital valley. Climate Nainital experiences a subtropical highland climate (Cwb) according to Köppen–Geiger climate classification system as the town's climate is influenced by the elevation. The town 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 , while the highest precipitation total occurs in July with total . Like most places in temperate region, Nainital has a relatively cool summer. The hottest month is July with temperature ranging from to , while the coldest month is January with temperature ranging from to . The highest temperature ever recorded in Nainital was recorded on 18 June 1972, while the lowest temperature was recorded on 17 January 1953. The trees and bushes grown in the region (lake's basin) with their botanical and common Indian names (in parentheses) are: Quercus leucotrichophora Oak (Banj), Aesculus indica (Pangar or Horse chestnuts), Juglans regia (Akhrot or walnut), Populus ciliata (Hill Pipal, a sacred tree), Fraxinus micrantha (Ash tree or Angu), Platanus orientalis (Chinar), Rubus lasiocarpus (Hisalu), Rosa moschata (Kunj or Musk rose), Berberis asiatica (Kilmora), Cupressus torulosa (Surai or Himalayan cypress), Rhododendron arboreum (Buruns), Cedrus deodara (Deodar), Salix acmophylla (Weeping Willow), and Pinus (Pine). Several species of medicinal flora and horticulture plants have also been found in the lake. The Aquatic Macrophytic vegetation include Potamogeton pectinatus, Potamogeton crispus, Polygonum glabrum, Polygonum amphibium and Polygonum hydropiper (Water pepper). The fishes found in the lake are generally carps Mahseer, and the mirror carp which breed several times during one spawning season during May to September. Two species of Mahaseer fish viz., Tor tor: The red finned mahseer and the Tor putitora: The yellow finned mahseer, a food fish which grows to varying sizes from 20 to 60 cm (7.87 to 23.62 inches) are found. Three species of Hill Trout are found in the lake: the Schizothorax sinuatus, Schizothorax richardsoni and Schizothorax plagiostornus. The imported fish bred in the lake is Mirror carp or Cyprinus carpio. Gambusia affinis also called Mosquitofish has been introduced in the lake as a biocontrol measure to control Mosquito larvae. ==Demographics==

}} boatman on the Naini Lake. As of the 2011 Indian census, Nainital had a population of 41,377. Males constitute 52.3% of the population and females 47.7%, which gives the town a sex ratio of 911 women per every 1000 men, which is less than the Uttarakhand state average of 963 women per every 1000 men. The population density was 3527.45 people per square km. Hindi and English also serve as lingua franca between locals and tourists/outsiders. == Government and politics ==

Civic Administration The municipal board of Nainital had its origin in 1845, when the provisions of the Act I of 1842 were sanctioned by the government in the town, which then applied to approximately two thirds of the total population. It was the second Municipal Board of North Western Provinces. Politics Nainital town is represented in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament, by a representative elected from the Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar Constituency. Ajay Bhatt (politician), from BJP, is the current Member of Parliament from Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar. He won the 2024 Indian general elections by 3,31,481 votes against Prakash Joshi from the Congress. Prior to the delimitation of the Loksabha Constituencies of Uttarakhand in 2008, the town was a part of the Nainital Lok Sabha constituency. Sarita Arya of the BJP is the current MLA from Nainital Assembly constituency. ==Notable sites==

Nainital Zoo The Nainital Zoo is located on Tallital, Sher Ka Danda Hill at height of 2,100m or 6900 ft above sea level. The zoo was officially named as G. B. Pant High Altitude Zoo. Jama Masjid The Jama Masjid of Nainital, located in Mallital area of Nainital, is a mosque which was built in 1882 during the British Raj. The most notable feature is the mihrab where a niche shows the direction towards Mecca. Naina Devi Temple The temple of Naina Devi is located at the upper end of Naini lake. This temple is dedicated to the goddess of the town, Naina Devi. Its complex becomes the location of the Nanda Devi Mela festival which held every year on Nandashtami during September. St John Wilderness Church St. John in the Wilderness is one of the oldest and finest churches in Nainital. The church is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. This Anglican Church was built in 1846 and is one of the earliest buildings erected in Nainital. Eco Cave Gardens Eco Cave Gardens is a cluster of naturally formed rocky caves. It is close to the Mall Road. It has 6 caves formed in the shape of animals. Libraries There are a number of libraries in the Nainital area. Among them are the Durga Lal Shah Municipal Public Library on the Mall, founded in 1934, the Uttarakhand Academy of Administration, Library and Documentation Center, Mallital, the ARIES Observatory Library, and the Kumaon University Library, Nainital. == Transport ==

Roadways . Nainital can be reached by the National Highway 109 (previously National Highway 87) from Haldwani, away, or by State Highway 13 from Bajpur, away. Airways The nearest airport is in Pantnagar near Rudrapur, about from Nainital. Alliance Air, Air Heritage and Deccan Charters are the three carriers, that connect the airport to Delhi, Dehradun and Pithoragarh. Railways The closest major railway station is Kathgodam, on the outskirts of Haldwani, which is connected with almost all major cities of the country. == Education ==

from Tiffin Top (Dorothy's Seat) In the latter half of the 19th century a number of "European" schools for boys and girls were founded in Nainital. During the Victorian and Edwardian eras, students in these schools consisted largely of children of the British colonial officials or soldiers. The Diocesan Girls' High School, now known as All Saints' College, was established in 1869, near where the High Court of Uttarakhand stands today. By 1906, there were over half a dozen such schools, In 1888, celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2013. Another important school for girls, St. Mary's Convent High School, Nainital (popularly known as Ramnee), was established in 1878, and celebrated its 125th anniversary in year 2003. ==Notable people==

• Sukirti Kandpal, TV actress • Sudhir Kakar, renowned psychoanalyst • Eric Maturin, British actor • Rajendra K. Pachauri, chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change • Manish Pandey, cricketer who plays for Karnataka and Bangalore • Jim Corbett, Hunter, writer and naturalist • Nirmal Pandey, Bollywood actor and singer • 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. • Hamida Saiduzzafar, ophthalmologist • Henry Stephens Salt, considered as the 'father of animal rights'. Born in Nainital. • 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 ==See also==