Nainital
This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2019) |
Nainital | |
---|---|
Judicial Capital of Uttarakhand | |
Nickname: Jewel of Kumaon[1] | |
Coordinates: 29°23′31″N 79°27′15″E / 29.39194°N 79.45417°E | |
Country | India |
State | Uttarakhand |
Division | Kumaon |
District | Nainital |
Named for | Naini Lake |
Government | |
• Type | Municipal Council |
• Body | Nainital Municipal Council |
Area | |
• Total | 11.73 km2 (4.53 sq mi) |
Elevation | 2,084 m (6,837 ft) |
Population (2011) | |
• Total | 41,377 |
• Density | 3,500/km2 (9,100/sq mi) |
Demonym | Nainitalites (English) Naintalwal (Kumaoni) |
Languages | |
• Official | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
PIN | 263001/263002 |
Telephone code | +91 - 5942 |
Vehicle registration | UK-04 |
Website | nainital |
Nainital (
Nainital is located in the Kumaon foothills of the outer Himalayas at a distance of 276 km (171 mi) from the state capital Dehradun and 314 km (195 mi) from New Delhi, the capital of India. Situated at an altitude of 1,938 metres (6,358 ft) above sea level, the town is set in a valley containing an eye-shaped lake, approximately two miles in circumference, and surrounded by mountains, of which the highest are Naina Peak (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."[9] The hill station attracts tourists round the year.
Etymology and mythology
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.[10]
History
Early history
Nainital has historically been a part of the
Founding and the landslip of 1880
The
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."[15]
"During Friday(17th) and Saturday(18th), 33 inches of rain fell, of which 20 inches (510 mm) to 25 in (640 mm) fell during the 40 hours preceding Saturday evening, and the downpour still lasted and continued till the evening of the next day. This heavy fall made the whole hillside one mass of semi-fluid matter, and required little to set in motion. The motive power was a shock of a minor earthquake, which was felt on that day itself by competent observers in the Bhabar below and Nainital itself. On the site of the Slip was the Victoria Hotel and its offices, and below it was the Hindu temple of "naina devi" and the Assembly Rooms, both by the side of the lake, and Bell's shop, which was close to the temple. Initial slip started around 10 am of 18 September, taking away western wing of the Victoria Hotel and portion of the hotel's out-houses. Tragically, most of the people were not moved much further away from the spot of the morning slip. At quarter to two the major landslip occurred and within few seconds all the buildings mentioned above were destroyed and made into an unrecognisable heap of rubble and much of it was swept into the lake."[15][16]
The number of dead and missing were 108 Indian and 43 Europeans, along with numerous people who narrowly escaped. (See poem by Hannah Battersby on the page Literary references to Nainital.) The Assembly Rooms and the Naina Devi Temple were destroyed in the disaster. A recreation area known as 'The Flats' was later built on the site and a new temple was erected. To prevent further disasters, storm water drains were constructed and building bylaws were made stricter.
A
Geography
Topography
The town of Nainital covers a total area of 11.73 km2 (4.53 sq mi), and is located at 29°23′N 79°27′E / 29.38°N 79.45°E,[21] at an average elevation of 2,084 metres (6,837 ft) above sea level. The slopes of the nearby mountains are most populated, with an altitude ranging from 1,940–2,100 m (6,360–6,890 ft). The highest point nearby is the Naina Peak, with a height of 2,619 m (8,593 ft). The town is located in the Kumaon foothills of the outer Himalayas at a distance of 285 km (177 mi) from the state capital Dehradun and 345 km (214 mi) from New Delhi, the capital of India.
The town is set in a valley around the
Nainital is surrounded by the mountains of Ayarpata (2,344 m (7,689 ft)), Devpata (2,435 m (7,989 ft)), Handibandi (2,180 m (7,153 ft)), Chini, (2,612 m (8,568 ft)), Alma (2,430 m (7,980 ft)), Lariya Kanta (2,482 m (8,144 ft)) and Sher ka Danda (2,398 m (7,869 ft)).[22]
Geology
The
Climate
Nainital experiences a
The
The onset of the summer in the hills is relatively earlier than the plains and is also very lengthy and humid. The mean temperature in July and August goes down and humidity rises abruptly during this season. The monsoon usually begins by mid-May when the rain strikes and continue until mid-October. Nainital, due to its proximity to the outermost high ranges of the Himalaya, receives high annual rainfall. Generally, by mid-September, the monsoon gets weakened and rain occurs generally after long intervals. With the retreat of the monsoon, the winds blow in a reverse direction. The weather during the post-monsoon months is characterised by bright skies. It is in fact a transition between the rains and the winters and with reduced rainfall, the monthly temperature records a progressive decline till mid-January.
Climate data for Nainital (1961–1979, extremes 1953–1979) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 18.4 (65.1) |
21.7 (71.1) |
24.6 (76.3) |
28.0 (82.4) |
29.6 (85.3) |
30.0 (86.0) |
26.1 (79.0) |
26.6 (79.9) |
24.6 (76.3) |
24.8 (76.6) |
21.4 (70.5) |
21.8 (71.2) |
30.0 (86.0) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 10.9 (51.6) |
11.9 (53.4) |
16.1 (61.0) |
20.7 (69.3) |
23.2 (73.8) |
23.4 (74.1) |
21.7 (71.1) |
21.0 (69.8) |
20.5 (68.9) |
18.8 (65.8) |
15.3 (59.5) |
12.8 (55.0) |
18.0 (64.4) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.7 (35.1) |
3.3 (37.9) |
7.3 (45.1) |
11.8 (53.2) |
14.3 (57.7) |
16.2 (61.2) |
16.3 (61.3) |
16.0 (60.8) |
13.7 (56.7) |
9.7 (49.5) |
5.8 (42.4) |
2.9 (37.2) |
9.9 (49.8) |
Record low °C (°F) | −5.6 (21.9) |
−4.3 (24.3) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
0.0 (32.0) |
5.0 (41.0) |
10.0 (50.0) |
10.4 (50.7) |
9.6 (49.3) |
4.4 (39.9) |
0.5 (32.9) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 82.4 (3.24) |
66.1 (2.60) |
57.1 (2.25) |
33.8 (1.33) |
72.4 (2.85) |
339.1 (13.35) |
685.4 (26.98) |
556.4 (21.91) |
346.3 (13.63) |
54.7 (2.15) |
7.7 (0.30) |
23.9 (0.94) |
2,305.3 (90.76) |
Average rainy days | 3.5 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 4.7 | 12.8 | 20.4 | 19.8 | 11.1 | 2.8 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 87.2 |
Average relative humidity (%) (at 17:30 IST )
|
65 | 60 | 53 | 49 | 48 | 66 | 82 | 84 | 79 | 65 | 62 | 59 | 64 |
Source: India Meteorological Department[26][25] |
Flora and fauna
The areas around Nainital (in the middle
Several species of medicinal flora and horticulture plants have also been found in the lake. The Aquatic Macrophytic vegetation include
Demographics
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1881 | 6,576 | — |
1891 | 8,455 | +28.6% |
1901 | 7,609 | −10.0% |
1911 | 10,270 | +35.0% |
1921 | 11,230 | +9.3% |
1931 | 9,741 | −13.3% |
1941 | 9,539 | −2.1% |
1951 | 12,350 | +29.5% |
1961 | 14,495 | +17.4% |
1971 | 23,986 | +65.5% |
1981 | 24,835 | +3.5% |
1991 | 29,837 | +20.1% |
2001 | 38,630 | +29.5% |
2011 | 41,377 | +7.1% |
Source:
|
As of the
A special Census taken in September 1880, at the height of the tourism season, returned a total population of 10,054 for the town.
Languages
Hindi is the official language,[3] while Sanskrit is the additional official language of the town.[4][5] Kumaoni is the native language and is the most spoken language in the town.[6] 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.[30]: 90
Politics
Nainital town is represented in the
Tourism
Year | International | Domestic | Total |
---|---|---|---|
2012 | 8,254 | 898,077 | 906,331 |
2013 | 7,088 | 737,130 | 744,218 |
2014 | 7,622 | 750,501 | 758,123 |
2015 | 6,902 | 808,903 | 815,805 |
2016 | 7,231 | 866,164 | 873,395 |
2017 | 8,329 | 910,323 | 918,652 |
2018 | 9,341 | 924,316 | 933,657 |
A popular hill station, Nainital has numerous tourist spots including
. Nainital is Kumaon's most well known hill station, and its premier tourist destinationNainital Zoo
The Nainital zoo 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.[36][37]
Nainital Yacht Club
The Nainital Yacht Club, situated along the lake, is run by the Boat House Club. It is the highest yacht club in India and among the highest clubs in the world. It was founded in 1910 by the British and, till 1970, was only open to members. Today, tourists can pay for a sailing session on the yachts.
Jama Masjid
The Jama Masjid of Nainital is located in Mallital area of Nainital is a mosque which was built in 1882 during the British Era for Muslims around Nainital. Over the main entrance one can see Arabic inscriptions. The most notable feature is the mihrab where a niche shows the direction towards Mecca.[38]
Naina Devi Temple
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.[39]
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.[40]
The Mall Road
The Mall Road is a shopping area in Nainital. It has many shops, restaurants and road side sellers.[41]
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. Tourists can visit the caves from 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. every day of the week.[42]
Naina Peak
Naina Peak is a sightseeing place situated at an altitude of 2611 meters. It gives a view of the
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,[44] the Uttarakhand Academy of Administration, Library and Documentation Center, Mallital,[45] the ARIES Observatory Library,[46] and the Kumaon University Library, Nainital.[47]
Transport
Roadways
Nainital can be reached by the National Highway 109 (previously National Highway 87) from Haldwani,[48] 40 km (25 mi) away, or by State Highway 13 from Bajpur,[49] 60 km (37 mi) away.
Airways
The nearest airport is in Pantnagar near Rudrapur, about 71 km (44 mi) from Nainital.[50] Alliance Air, Air Heritage and Deccan Charters are the three carriers, that connect the airport to Delhi, Dehradun and Pithoragarh.[51][52][53]
Railways
The closest major railway station is Kathgodam, on the outskirts of Haldwani, which is connected with almost all major cities of the country.[54]
Education
In the latter half of the 19th century a number of "European" schools for boys and girls were founded in Nainital. During the
St. Joseph's College, Nainital (popularly known as SEM), a day-boarding and residential school built by Irish brothers.[55] 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
- Bollywoodactor. Educated at Sherwood College.
- Sonam Bajwa, Indian actress.
- 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 and lived in Gurney House.
- Danny Denzongpa, Bollywood actor studied in Birla Vidya Mandir
- Shekhar Pathak, noted historian, editor, travel-writer, and activist
- B K Goyal, cardiologist, educated at Birla Vidya Mandir[citation needed]
- 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
- Field Marshal 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
- 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.
- Naseeruddin Shah, Bollywood actor. Educated at St. Joseph's College.
- Major Som Nath Sharma, India's first Param Vir Chakraaward winner. Educated at Sherwood College.
- Shivani, Hindi poet
- Billy Arjan Singh, Tiger conservationist of India, Educated in Nainital.[56]
- Dalip 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.
- Burma during World War II
See also
References
- ^ "Nainital: The jewel of Kumaon". The Economic Times. 4 April 2010. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
- ^ a b c d District Census Handbook Nainital Part-A (PDF). Dehradun: Directorate of Census Operations, Uttarakhand.
- ^ a b "52nd Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India" (PDF). nclm.nic.in. Ministry of Minority Affairs. p. 18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- ^ a b Trivedi, Anupam (19 January 2010). "Sanskrit is second official language in Uttarakhand". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 1 February 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
- ^ a b "Sanskrit second official language of Uttarakhand". The Hindu. 21 January 2010. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
- ^ a b "Kumaoni". Ethnologue. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ "Home: Raj Bhavan, Uttarakhand, India". governoruk.gov.in. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
- ^ "History: History". governoruk.gov.in. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
- ^ Nainital District, The Imperial Gazetteer of India, volume 18, pp. 322–323. 1908
- ^ View of Mallital, without the present Naina Devi Temple (1865) British Library.
- ^ Clay 1927, p. 3
- ^ a b Clay 1927, p. 4
- ^ Nevill 1904, p. 195
- ^ (Barron 1844)
- ^ a b c d (Murphy 1906)
- ISBN 978-81-86246-52-8.
- The Bend Bulletin. 21 April 1950.
- The Ogden Standard-Examiner. 21 April 1950.
- ^ "Drunk Gurkha Kills 22". Los Angeles Times. 22 April 1950. Archived from the original on 13 March 2013.
- ^ "Murders 22 at wedding". The Huntingdon Daily News. 22 April 1950.
- ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc – Nainital. Fallingrain.com.
- ^ a b Pande 1993, p. 32
- ^ Murphy 1906, p. 37
- ^ Murphy 1906, p. 42
- ^ a b "Extremes of Temperature & Rainfall for Indian Stations (Up to 2012)" (PDF). India Meteorological Department. December 2016. p. M227. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
- ^ "Station: Nainital Climatological Table 1961–1990" (PDF). Climatological Normals 1961–1990. India Meteorological Department. July 2010. pp. 581–582. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "Introduction, Horticulture, Medicinal flora, Animals and Fishes". Archived from the original on 7 April 2008. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
- ^ a b c Hunter, W. W. (1886). The Imperial Gazetteer of India Volume VIII. London: Trubner & Co.
- ^ a b c Nainital Population Census 2011.
- ISBN 978-81-7017-324-3. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
- ^ "Kumaon Division: Member Of Parliaments". kumaon.gov.in. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
- ^ Sharma, Nihi (24 May 2019). "Lok Sabha Elections Results 2019: Former CM Harish Rawat loses in Naintal by over 3 lakh votes". Hindustan Times. Dehradun. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
- ^ "Delimitation of Parliamentary & Assembly Constituencies Order - 2008". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
- The Tribune. Retrieved 31 December 2009.
- ^ "Tourist Statistics from 2000 to 2018 of Major Tourist Destinations" (PDF). Uttarakhand Tourism. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
- ^ "Nainital Zoo (Timings, Entry Ticket Fee & Images) - Nainital Tourism 2024". nainitaltourism.org.in. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
- ^ "Nainital zoo gets female markhor from Darjeeling". The Times of India. 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
- ^ Bedi, Aneesha (16 November 2019). "Jama Masjid, Mecca Masjid — why Twitter is flooded with images of India's stunning mosques". ThePrint. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
- ^ "Naina Devi Mandir: चमत्कारी मानी जाती हैं नैना देवी, मंदिर में दर्शन से आंखों के रोग दूर होने की है मान्यता". Times Now (in Hindi). 18 September 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- ^ "Plan your next vacation to Uttarakhand's picturesque hill town, Nainital". Hindustan Times. 22 October 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- ^ "Mall Road". Nainital. 30 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
- ^ "Top 19 things to do in Nainital". Zongaroo. 30 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
- ISBN 978-81-7387-135-1.
- ISBN 1-74059-694-3. Page 425.
- ^ The World Bank India: Depository Libraries, 2006.
- ^ "Astronomical Networking Libraries". Archived from the original on 17 July 2006. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
- ^ "Kumaon University". Archived from the original on 5 February 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ "Landslide spoils festivity, NH-87 blocked". The Times of India. Nainital. 17 August 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
- ^ "वर्ष 2016-17 में लोक निर्माण विभाग के अंतर्गत राज्य मार्ग की लम्बाई" (PDF). Retrieved 29 January 2020.
- The Tribune. 11 May 2008. Retrieved 29 June 2009.
- ^ "Alliance Air to start flights on Pantnagar-Dehradun route from Jan 4". The Economic Times. 28 December 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
- Airport Authority of India. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- ^ "flight schedule of Air Deccan". Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
- ISBN 9788128400674. Retrieved 11 January 2017. "NAINITAL; Railway Station : Kathgodam 35 kms"
- ^ "History". www.stjosephscollege.in. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
- ^ Davison, Phil. ""Billy" Arjan Singh: Honorary Tiger". sikhchic.com. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
- Barron, Peters (1844). Notes of wanderings in the Himmala ... OCLC 316507322.
Further reading
- Bateman, Josiah (1860), The Life of The Right Rev. Daniel Wilson, D.D., Late Lord Bishop of Calcutta and Metropolitan of India, Volume II, John Murray, Albemarle Street, London.
- Corbett, SAYUJ (2002) [2000], Inter H.G.S – Indian Culture in Daily Life., Oxford India Reprint
- Corbett, Jim (2002) [1948], The Man Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag, Oxford India Reprint
- Corbett, Jim (2002) [1954], The Temple Tigers and More Man-Eaters of Kumaon, Oxford India Reprint
- Fayrer, Joseph (1900), Recollections of my life, William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh and London
- Imperial Gazetteer of India, Volume 18, pp. 322–323., Oxford University Press, Oxford and London, 1908
- Kennedy, Dane (1996), The Magic Mountains: Hill Stations and the British Raj, University of California Press, Berkeley, Los Angeles, and Oxford. 264 pages.
- Kipling, Rudyard (1889), The Story of the Gadsbys, Macmillan and Company, London
- Kipling, Rudyard (1895), Under the Deodars, Macmillan and Company, London
- McLaren, Eva Shaw (1920), Elsie Inglis: The Woman with the Torch, Macmillan and Company, New York
- M'Crindle, J.W. (1901), Ancient India: As Described in Classical Literature, Archibald ConstaHble & Company, Westminster
- Murphy, C.W. (1906), A Guide to Naini Tal and Kumaun, Allahbad, United Provinces
- Notes on Wanderings in the Himmala, containing descriptions of some of the grandest scenery of the snowy range, among others of Naini Tal, Agra Akhbaar Press, Agra
External links
- Official website
- Nainital travel guide from Wikivoyage