Nainital

Coming down to the foothills of the Himalayas, Nainital is a vibrant hill station in the state of Uttrakhand and is known for its pear shaped lake surrounded by Naina , Deopatha and Aryapatha hills . The scenic beauty of this place is unparalleled.

I find Naintal to be one of the few places which has been tailor made for tourism and even with a huge crowd around the year does not look as polluted as other famous tourist spots in North India.

Naina Devi Temple : This temple is at a place from where one can get a marvelous view of the the hill station and also the lake. A popular belief is that it is one of the 64 religious sites where parts of the charred body of Parvati fell on earth while being carried by Lord Shiva . The spot where Sati’s eyes ( Nain) fell, came to be called Nain-tal or lake of the eye.

Nainital Lake : The only reason why most of the tourists drop here is the Naini Lake or Naini Jheel.One can opt for boating or maybe take a thrill ride on a yacht (if available) or maybe just stroll around the mall road and spend time being captivated by the nature and the cool weather around this place . It is also a great chance of getting to know about the local people and their culture. I most definitely spent my time rowing the boat along with my family.

Snow-View Point : You can either take the breathtaking ropeway to this point or you can book a cab and travel to the top of the hill for the amazing scenic beauty of this place. One can set their mind to the relax mode and enjoy the eagle’s eye view of the Lake and a breathtaking panorama of the snow-capped mountains all around. Do not forget to relish a cup of hot coffee here.

Naukuchiatal : This was the place where I camped for the whole vacation. It is about 26kms from Nainital , a quiet and serene place with the deepest place in the whole Nainital region. It is also famous for its escape festival which happens once a year.

A very common phenomenon in Nainital and Naukuchiatal is living amongst the clouds , especially when it rains. On our last night we were camping in Naukuchiatal and it rained so hard that we almost suspected it to be a cloud burst. It was fearful and I had chills runiing down my spine and adrenaline racing through my blood. The storm ceased in about two hours followed by extreme calmness , thankfully no damage was done and in the morning we bid adieu to the place.