Nainital

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File:LAKE3.jpg
Nainital Lake

Nainital (29° 24' N, 79° 28' E) is a town in the Indian state of Uttaranchal and headquarters of Nainital District in the Kumaon foothills of the outer Himalaya. Situated at an altitude of 1938 m (6,350 ft) above sea-level, Nainital is set in a valley containing a pear-shaped lake, approximately 2 miles in circumference, and surrounded by mountains, of which the highest are Naina (also Cheena) (2615 m, or 8,568 ft) on the north, Deopatha (2438 m, or 7,987 ft) on the west, and Ayarpatha (2278 m, or 7,461 ft) on the south. The surrounding scenery "is strikingly beautiful; and 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." (Imperial Gazeteer of India, volume 18, Oxford University Press, Oxford and London, 1908.)

Nainital has temperate summers (maximum temperature 27°C, or 80°F; minimum temperature 10°C, or 50°F) and receives an influx of tourists mostly from the plains of Northern India. In the winter, Nainital receives snowfall between December and February with the temperatures varying between a maximum of 15°C (59°F) and a minimum of -3°C (26°F).

The emerald green lake, the towering hills, the nip in the autumn wind, and the snapping of the chinar leaves underfoot ... there is a lot that makes for fond memories of the city of Nainital, for those who come as visitors as well as for those who have a chance to spend a longer time.

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Ancient References

Nainital occurs in several ancient myths of India. One of the earliest, from the Manas Khand of the Skand Puran, refers to Nainital Lake as Tri-Rishi-Sarovar, alluding to the story of the three sages (or rishis), Atri, Pulastya and Pulaha, who finding no water in Naintal, dug a large hole at the location of the present day lake (sarovar = lake) and inundated it with water siphoned from the holy lake Manasarovar (literally, Lake of the Mind) near Mount Kailas on the other side of the Himalayas in Tibet. According to lore, a dip in Naini Lake, "the lesser mansoravar", earned merit equal to a dip in the great lake.

Another myth refers to Naini Lake as one of the 64 Shakti Peeths, where parts of the charred body of Sati (Parvati) fell upon surface of the earth while being carried through the heavens by Lord Shiva. According to legend, the spot where Sati's eyes (or Nain) fell, came to be called Nain-tal or [lake of the eye.] The goddess Shakti is worshipped at the Naina Devi Temple located at the northern end of the present day lake.

British Period

Early Construction

File:Penny illustrated nainital landslip1880.png
The Naini Tal landslip on the cover page of the Penny Illustrated Paper (London), October 2, 1880

The Kumaon Hills came under British rule after the Anglo-Nepal War (1814-16), but the hill station town of Naini Tal (spelling of the name in British times) was only founded in 1841, with the construction of the first European house by P. Barron. Moved by the beauty of the sparkling lake he wrote: "It is by far the best site I have witnessed in the course of a 1,500 miles trek in the Himalayas." In the next five years, new houses were built rapidly, "for in 1846, when 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 limitary ranges were nearly 7,500 feet above sea level: the rugged and woody Ayarpatta 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's in the Wilderness, had been built, and Captain Madden remarked that a very pretty gothic structure had been erected on one of the most picturesque sites in the settlement." (quoted from The 1906 guide to Naini Tal.) Soon the town became a health resort favoured both by soldiers and by people trying to escape the heat of the plains. Later, the town also became the summer residence of the Governor of the United Provinces (later Uttar Pradesh). Government House (now the High Court of Uttaranchal) was built in 1899 by the F.W. Stevens who had also built many Gothic style buildings in Bombay.

The Landslip of 1880

In September 1880 a landslide (called the Landslip of 1880) occurred at the north end of the town, burying 151 people. The first known landslide had occurred in 1866, and in 1879 there was a larger one at the same spot, Alma Hill (now called Snow View), but "the great slip occurred in the following year, on Saturday 18th September 1880." (From The 1906 Guide to Naini Tal.) "Two days preceding the slip there was heavy rain, and it is recorded that from 20 to 25 inches fell during the 40 hours ending on Saturday morning, and the downpour still lasted and continued for hours after the slip. This heavy fall naturally brought down streams of water from the hill side, some endangering the Victoria Hotel, ... The hotel was not the only building threatened by the streams of water that came down; Bell's shop, the Volunteer Orderly Room and the Hindu (Naina Devi) temple were scenes of labour with a view to diverting streams. At a quarter to two the landslip occurred burying those in and around the buildings mentioned above." (From The 1906 Guide to Naini Tal.) The total number of dead and missing were 108 Indians and 43 British nationals. Both 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 also erected.

The Schools

Eventually a number of schools for boys and girls were established in Nainital. By 1906, there were over half a dozen such schools (a few of which have closed down since). From the 1906 Guide to Naini Tal: "The boys' schools in Naini Tal are, the Diocesan Boys' School (later renamed Sherwood College) which is under the guidance of the Church of England, Philander Smith's College, maintained by the American Mission and St. Joseph's College a Roman Catholic institution. The Diocesan School is situated on Ayarpatta well to the West End. The school building is a new one its construction was taken in hand about ten years ago, when Sherwood (estate) which accommodated the school for 23 years, was acquired by Government for Government House. Philander Smith's College is an old institution (Oak Openings) under a new name. St. Joseph's College, on Ayarpatta near Government House, has extensive grounds and the buildings are large ... This school is one of the largest in the Province.... This year the boarders alone number about 200."

"The Girls' Schools are the Wellesley School, St. Mary's Convent, All Saints Diocesan High School and Petersfield College for Girls. Wellesley is on Ayarpatta, not far distant from the District Court buildings--it is an American Institution. St. Mary's Convent is one of the oldest institutions in Naini Tal. The Convent has done well ... at the examinations of the Trinity College of Music, London, ... winning the National prize in 1904, and the Indian Exhibition prize last year. All Saint's High School is situated near the Convent, but higher up the hill: this is an old established school. The present buildings are spacious, and the grounds charming. Petersfield Girls' College is in the heart of the station, near St. John's Church." (From, 1906 Guide to Naini Tal.)


Nainital Today

Educational and Research Institutions

The Public Schools

As mentioned above, for well over a century, Nainital has been known for its many public schools. Four schools continuing from the British period are:

In addition, a new school was established soom after independence in 1947:

  • Birla Vidyamandir [5]. The school was envisioned by Govind Ballabh Pant, independence leader and former Home Minister of India, who was keen to have a public school in which Indian heritage was emphasized. As a result of a timely donation from the industrialist Ghanshyam Das Birla, the then deserted estate of Philander Smith, which had previously housed the Philander Smith College, and during the war years had housed the Hallet War School, became the seat of the new Birla Vidya Mandir.

Kumaon University

Nainital is home to one of the two campuses of Kumaon University [6] (the other campus is Almora). The university was founded in 1973 when it incorporated the Dan Singh Bisht (DSB) Goverment College (commonly called "the Degree College"), which had been founded in 1951.

ARIES (State Observatory)

The 50-year old State Observatory at Nainital was reincarnated in 2004 as ARIES, an acronym for Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational-SciencES, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India. The Observatory, which came into existence in Varanasi in 1954, was moved the following year to Nainital, below the more transparent skies. In 1961 it was moved once again to its present location--Manora Peak (altitude 1951 m.)--a few kms south of the Nainital town. ARIES's main objective is to provide national optical observing facilities for research in astronomy, astrophysics, and the atmospheric sciences. ARIES hosts five optical telescopes of sizes 15cm, 38cm, 52cm, 56cm, and 104cm. These telescopes are equipped with cooled CCD cameras, spectrophotometers, and filters. The 104cm telescope, the Sampurnanand telescope, has been the mainstay of the photometric, spectrophotometric and polarimetric observations.

Environmental Degradation

In recent years, academics, geologists, concerned citizens and the judiciary have been alarmed at the rate of new construction in Nainital and its effects on the Naini lake. As a result, efforts have been undertaken to check the deterioration of the lake and its surrounding ecosystem. Desilting of the lake and afforestation of the catchment area have been initiated; however these measures have not been sufficient to cope with the ever increasing pressure on its fragile ecosystem. The number of tourists, and with them the number of vehicles entering the town, is rapidly increasing and this, if not checked, could turn Nainital into a disfigured and despoiled town.

Places of Interest

In and Around Nainital

  • Naina Devi Temple.
  • One of the older churches of North India--St. John in the Wilderness--was established here in 1846. There one can view the names of the 43 British nationals killed by the Landslip of 1880. After the landslide the local government took a number of steps to prevent the recurrence of such disasters--a number of Nallas (storm water drains) were constructed and building byelaws were made stricter.
  • The High Court of Uttaranchal state is also located in Nainital town, as are the headquarters of the Kumaon, one of the two commissionaries of Uttaranchal state.
  • Naina (or China) Peak.
  • Snow View.
  • Tiffin Top
  • Hanuman Garh.
  • Laria Kanta.
  • Land's End.
  • High Altitude Zoo.
  • Gurney House.

Outside Nainital

  • Nainital district is home to India's oldest national park, the Jim Corbett National Park, which contains a wide variety of wild life including elephants and tigers.
  • Mukteshwar (2286 m. or 7,500 ft), a picturesque town near Nainital, is home to the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI). It also offers a commanding and unhindered view of some of the high mountains of the western Himalaya--Nanda Devi, Trishul, and Nanda Kot.
  • Bhim Tal.
  • Khurpa Tal.
  • Naukuchia Tal.
  • Ranikhet.
  • Bageshwar.
  • Almora.

Notable people

Notable people who were born in or resided in Nainital:

References

  • Imperial Gazeteer of India, volume 18, Oxford University Press, Oxford and London, 1908.
  • The 1906 Guide to Naini Tal.
  • Penny Illustrated Paper, October 2, 1880
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