Nainital is a part of Kumaun Division in the state of Uttarakhand. It lies in the outer Himalayan Mountain Range. The town is the administrative headquarter of the district of the same name. The town is famous for its scenic mountainous views and is one of the most popular hill stations in India.
Location of Nainital
Nainital picturesque hilly town lies at an elevation of 6,837 feet (2,084 meters). It is nestled in a basin which houses a lagoon with the form of a pear. The perimeter of the water body or lagoon is around two miles and it is bordered by a number of peaks, which include the following:
- Naina to the north, the elevation is 8,579 feet (2,615 meters)
- Ayarpatha to the south, the altitude is 7,474 feet (2,278 meters).
- Deopatha to the west, the elevation is 7,999 feet (2,438 meters)
The distance from various cities is given below:
| Pithoragarh | 186 Km |
| Almora | 64 Km |
| Champawat | 160 Km |
| Ranikhet | 62 Km |
| Kathgodam | 34 Km |
| Kausani | 117 Km |
| Lalkua | 60 Km |
| Haldwani | 40 Km |
| Bareilly | 140 Km |
| Ramnagar | 65 Km |
| Agra | 403 Km |
| Lucknow | 400 Km |
| Dehradun | 300 Km |
| Delhi | 310 Km |
| Badrinath | 334 Km |
| Haridwar | 245 Km |
Geographic and Topographic Aspects of Nainital
The mean elevation of the town is 6,837 feet (2,084 meters). Geographically, the town can be divided into two parts - Mallital and Tallital.
Climate of Nainital
The city of Nainital features pleasant summers and during the summer months the minimum temperature goes down to 45°F or 7°C and the highest temperature rises to 81°F or 27°C. Throughout this period, the number of people in the area grows over five times and there is an arrival of travelers mostly from the plains of North India. During the winter months of December and February, the town gets significant snowfall. The temperatures range between 59°F (15°C), which is usually the peak temperature and -3°C (27°F), which is normally the lowest temperature.
Area and population of Nainital
The town featured a population of 38,559, which is reported by the census conducted in 2001 and its area is 5 sq miles or 11.73 km2. The inhabitants consist of 54% men and 46% women. The mean literacy rate in the town is 91%, which surpasses the countrywide mean of 59.5%. Approximately 98% of the male population is literate and 86% of the female population is literate. About 1% of the people living in the town are below the age of 6 years. Most of the people living in the town belong to the Kumaoni community.
Major Educational Institutes in Nainital?
For more than a hundred years, the area is famous for its various schools and educational institutes. The most reputed schools and colleges in the area include the following:
- All Saints' College, founded 1869
- Sherwood College, founded 1869
- St. Joseph's College, founded 1888
- St.Mary's Convent High School, founded 1878
- Sanwal School, founded in the 1940s in Mallital
- Birla Vidya Mandir, founded 1947
- Parvati Prema Jagati Saraswati Vihar, founded 1983
- St. Amtuls Public School, founded 1983
- Chait Ram Sah Thulgharya Inter College (CRST) Nainital Mallital
- Oakwood School, founded 1989
- Bhartiya Saheed Sainik Vidhlay (BSSV) Sainik School, Nainital, founded 1966
Right Time to Visit Nainital
The ideal occasion to go to Nainital is the summer. The months of May, June, and July see the maximum number of visitors coming to the town.
Major Tourist Attractions in Nainital
Given below are the prominent tourist attractions in Nainital:
- Nanda Devi Temple near Naini Lake: This holy place was damaged at the time of the landslide in 1880. Subsequently, it was constructed once more. This religious place of worship lies on the northern banks of the Naini lake. According to some people, it was built in the Kushan regime during the 15th century. However, there are beliefs that say Moti Ram Shah constructed it.
- Sher-Ka-Danda Ridge, also known as Snow View: It is situated at an elevation of 2,270 meters. Snow View comes with stunning sights of the Naina Devi peak. The Aerial Express Ropeway is the transportation mode to visit the place. There is a place known as Mountain Magic that is famous among kids for go karting and bumper cars.
- Tiffin Top Mountain: For visiting this popular tourist spot, you need to go by car and reach Sherwood College. Subsequently, you can join a small scenic trail.
- St. John in the Wilderness in Mallital: This fascinating cathedral was established by the Bishop of Kolkata and named after him.
- Guano Hills: These small mountains are outstanding locations for scenic trails. Dense bamboo, oak, and deodar forests characterize this area. Black-chinned babbler and grey woodpecker are among the uncommon species of birds that are seen in the area.
- Gurney House: It is the residence of Jim Corbett, the famous hunter. The residence has been switched to a museum. It contains all the souvenirs of the hunter.
- Sariyatal: It is a torrent on Kaladhungi Road.
- Naina Lake: This picturesque lake is nestled in the middle of seven hills that border it and towering summits that are nearly sky high.
Top Hotels in Nainital
There are different types of hotels in the town and they can be categorized into the following:
- Resorts
- Heritage hotels
- 5 Star Hotels
- 4 Star hotels
- 3 Star Hotels
- Budget hotels
Mid range hotels
- Alka Hotel
- Grand Hotel
- Jungle Lore Birding Lodge
- Palace Belvedere
- Channi Raja
- Classic Hotel
- Fair Light Trails Resort. It is a Heritage Cottage lying on top of Nainital.
- Mountain Quail
- Sarovar TRH
- Hotel New Bharat
- Hotel Krishna
- Savoy Hotel
- Ashok Hotel
- Hotel City Heart
- Hotel Vikrant
- Arif Castles
- The Hermitage Kailash
- Abbotsford- Prasada Bhawan
- Manu Maharani, Mallital
- The Naini Retreat
- Woodside Retreat
- Shervani Hill Top Inn
- Vikram Vintage Inn
- The Earls Court
- Dynasty Resort
- The Hive
Restaurants in Nainital
While staying in Nainital, you can enjoy delicious food at the following venues:
- Sher-e-Punjab - famous for Punjabi dishes. It is situated at the Mall.
- Woods at The Mall (Alka Hotel).
- Machan at The Mall.
- Embassy at The Mall.
- Shiva, Barra Bazaar. Known for confectionary and vegetarian food
- Laxmi at The Mall.
- Kumaon.
- Aab-O-Dana in Mallital (Arif Castles).
How to reach Nainital?
By Train (Railways)
Kathgodam is the closest railhead and it is located at a distance of 35 km. Taxis are available from Kathgodam against fares of Rs. 250-300 to the town. In addition, you can avail share taxis which would come against a fare of Rs. 75 per individual. Majority of hotels and accommodations facilitates a pickup on earlier demand and it comes against Rs. 600-900. Buses are available from Kathgodam station and the bus fare is around 30-40 rupees per individual.
The following trains carry passengers to Nainital:
- Delhi to Kathgodam Uttarakhand Sampark Kranti Express
- Delhi to Kathgodam Ranikhet Express
- Dehradun-Kathgodam Express - Starts from Dehradun, passes through Haridwar, and stops at Kathgodam
- Bagh Express - Departs from Howrah (Kolkata), passes through Lucknow, and stops at Kathgodam
Uttarakhand Roadways run regular bus services from Delhi. The buses start from The Interstate Bus Terminus in Anand Vihar.
By car, getting to Nainital takes approximately 7 to 8 hours. From the national capital, travelers can take the NH 24, which links Delhi to Rampur through Hapur. On the journey, you can stop at Railway crossing, Moradabad, the Wonderland, and the Cottage at Jeliokot. The taxi fare from Delhi is approximately Rs.1,100-1,200.
By plane
As opposed to common concept, a flight to Nainital is the speediest means to arrive at the place. It takes around 2 hours to reach the Pant Nagar Airport. Kingfisher Airlines and Jagson Airlines are the two principal carriers that fly to Nainital.
Last Updated on: 22/04/2013
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