Monday, 17 September 2012

Naini Tal

Shri Nathji had stayed in Nainital with His family  in the summer of 1942. Shri Nathji stayed at Seven Oaks Cottage at Naini Tal, where His nectar of life flooded all the denizens of the city who came to him. Then again in  1972 Shri Nathji,  Priya Nathj and Sehadeva  came to Naini Tal in June 1972.
Nainital is a popular hill station in the Indian state of in the Kumaon foothills of the outer Himalayas. Situated at an altitude of 2,084 metres (6,837 ft) above sea level, Nainital is set in a valley containing a pear-shaped lake, approximately two miles in circumference, and surrounded by mountains, of which the highest are Naina (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, bounded by the great snowy range which forms the central axis of the Himalayas."
The slopes of the nearby mountains are most populated, with an elevation ranging from 1940 mts to 2100 meters. The highest point nearby is Naina Peak or China Peak, with an elevation of 2619 mts.
 In the Manas Khand of the Skand Puranas, Nainital Lake is called Tri-Rishi-Sarovar, hinting at the story of three sages (or rishis), Atri, Pulastya and Pulaha, who, upon finding no water in Nainital, dug a large hole at the location of the present day lake (sarovar = lake) and filled it with water from the holy lake Manasarovar in Tibet. According to lore, a dip in Naini Lake, "the lesser Manasarovar," earns merit equal to a dip in the great lake.

The Kumaon Hills came under British rule after the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–16), but the hill station town of Naini Tal was founded only in 1841, with the construction of the first European house (Pilgrim Lodge) by P. Barron, a sugar trader from Shahjahanpur.  Soon, the town became a health resort favoured both by British soldiers and by colonial officials and their families trying to escape the heat of the plains. Later, the town also became the summer residence of the Governor of the United Provinces.
Nainital had become something of an exclusive English preserve, with the Indian presence in the town confined largely to a behind-the-scenes labour and service industry, or to the occasional prince. This state of affairs lasted for much of the Victorian era. The first signs of change came early in the 20th century, when Indian bureaucrats and professionals began arriving in town as part of the annual migration of the state government of the United Provinces to Nainital every summer.

For well over a century, Nainital has been known for its many schools. Four schools from the British period continue to exist today: Sherwood College, established 1869; All Saints' College, established 1869; St. Mary's Convent High School established 1878; and St. Joseph's College established 1888. In addition, a number of new schools have been established since independence.
The principal attraction of Naini Tal is its lake. The eye-shaped lake is a tourist hotspot and acts as a magnet for all those visiting the hill resort. Here, a person can either take a leisurely stroll or indulge in boating and enjoy the surrounding beauty. The northern end of the lake is called Mallital, while the southern one is called Tallital. The Lake Bridge that connects the two banks has quite a few shops as well as a post office, the only one in the world to be located on a bridge.

The Jim Corbett National Park in the Nainital district is India's oldest national park. The park, which is 63 km north-west of Nainital city, is a popular tourist destination


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