Situated at an altitude of nearly 2000 m in
Uttaranchal, Nainital is a lovely hill station surrounded by mountains on three sides. Said to have been discovered by a Britisher, Lord Barron, this was once the summer capital of the United Province. Blessed with natural scenic splendor and surrounded by lakes, the town has become one of the most popular tourist resorts of the country. It is often called the Lake District of India.
The most prominent of the lakes is the Naini, ringed by hills and a popular site for water sports such as yachting, kayaking, canoeing and boating. The temple of Naini Devi is on the upper edge of the lake. The lake and the town got their names from the legendary belief that the eyes (naini) of Devi
Sati’s corpse fell into the lake (tal) while being carried by
Lord Shiva to Mount Kailas.
The climate here is generally pleasant throughout the year except during winter months. There is occasional snow fall between January and March.
Nainital is well-connected by buses with other parts of the State and nearby cities like Delhi and
Meerut. The nearest railway station is Kathgodam, 35 km away, which is connected by trains to Delhi, Lucknow and Howrah. Patnagar (71 km) is the nearest airport. The best seasons are April-June and September-October.
