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Contents

 

  1. History
  2. Getting Around
  3. Tourist Traps
  4. Local Customs
  5. Shopping
  6. Communications

An erstwhile summer retreat of the British, Nainital is a lovely little hill station popular with nature lovers and honeymooners for its tranquil environs. Ensconced amid the Kumaon hills, the eye-shaped Naini Lake is the lifeline of Nainital. All activity in Nainital is centered around this lake – almost always can you spot tourists and locals sailing on boats and enjoying the breeze. Just across the emerald Naini Lake runs the Mall Road lined with shops bursting with colorful woolens and candles, on either side. Some popular attractions in Nainital are the Naina Devi Temple, Hanuman Garhi and other points of dramatic scenery such as Snow View, China Peak, Lands End and Tiffin Top.

History

A bustling hill station now, Nainital was for a long time not much more than a secluded temple. The earliest mention of Nainital is found in ancient Indian mythology. It is mentioned as the Tririshi Sarovar - the lake of three sages Atri, Pulastya and Pulaha in ancient Hindu scriptures. Not much bigger than a hamlet settled on the lakeside, Nainital had sacred significance for the locals who believed the lake formed when an eye of goddess Sati fell in the region.

Its mythological significance aside, Nainital remained a largely unexplored region of the Kumaon hills till the early 18th century. While the British presence in Kumaon and Garhwal began in 1815, it was only after the Gurkha War of 1819 that the British gained full control over the region. However, as early as 1817, Mr GW Traill the commissioner of Kumaon had visited the spot but kept the visit a secret, as he did not want to disturb the religious sanctity of the place!

The growth of Nainital Town did not begin till 1841. P Barron, a sugar trader from Shahjahanpur was hunting in Kumaon when he stumbled upon the scenic Naini Lake. He fell in love with it at first sight and built the first lakeside British mansion, Pilgrim Lodge. Soon an influx of Europeans transformed the town into a summer retreat and health resort for British soldiers, officers, officials, and their families. The majestic church, St John in the Wilderness was also built around then. The British also established the summer capital of the United Provinces in Nainital.

Unplanned activity and sudden increase in population led to some tragic consequences. In 1880, after two days of torrential rain, a massive landslide occurred at the northern end of the lake. The original Naina Devi temple and several other buildings were destroyed, along with over 151 lives. A recreation area, The Flats was later built at the site. During the Victorian Era, the officers of the Raj patronized Nainital as a ‘school town’. The efforts of the church and several leading English and American educational establishments led to the founding of prestigious schools, such as the Diocesan Boys' School (later renamed Sherwood College) under the guidance of the Church of England; Philander Smith's College, maintained by an American; St. Joseph's College, a Roman Catholic institution, Wellesley School an American institution; St. Mary's Convent High School, a Roman Catholic institution; All Saints Diocesan High School for Girls, under the Church of England, and Petersfield College for Girls. British officers, administrative officials, traders, and a few rich Indians sent their wards to these schools. Post independence, India’s elite continued the tradition.The change in the schools’ composition reflected a change in much of Nainital. While during the Raj years the town was the playground of the British with the indigenous population confined to labor-related roles. After 1947, the locals admirably filled in the absence of the British.

Getting Around

Commuting in Nainital is quite easy as the town has a good network of roads. Taxis and cycle-rickshaws are the more common mode of transport; and those seeking an authentic experience can book horses and dandies (palanquins). Most part of this green hill station can be explored by car. Attractions at higher altitude can be accessed by ropeway or on horseback.

The Mall and the shops lining it are ideally explored on an evening saunter. However, vehicles taking the Mall Road are required to pay a toll tax of 25 INR till 1500 hours and 50 INR thereafter. During the peak tourist season, there is an embargo on heavy vehicles such as tourist buses from 0800 to 1030 hours and 1430 to 2230 hours. Light vehicles such as cars cannot enter the Mall Road from 1800 to 2200 hours. Even cycle-rickshaws cannot ply on the road from 1800 to 2100 hours. May, June and October are the peak tourist month.

Boats can be used to cross the Naini Lake. Cable cars are the main mode of transport between the Flatts and Snow View Peak.

Tourist Traps in the City

Guides and ostlers offering horse rides are too good at identifying first-timers from the locals, and move in for the kill. It is better to negotiate the fare with them beforehand to avoid unpleasantness.

You will find men with a camera dangling their necks claiming to be professional photographers at scenic viewpoints such as Dorothy’s Seat and Snow View. They request you to have your pictures taken, and promise to deliver the same to your hotel of stay for a nominal sum. You are better off without them as their photographs are often far from satisfactory. If you can use your own camera to compose pictures nothing like it.

You are recommended to hire taxis from designated taxi stands. Also, avoid buying tickets for boat and cable car rides from touts. Get it directly from the designated ticket counters (even if there is a short queue) to avoid being overcharged. Even while shopping, make sure you bargain hard with the salesman!

Local Custom

While visiting places temples dress up modestly and avoid wearing short or revealing clothes.

Plastic bags are banned in Nainital. Make sure you dispose off all litter in the public garbage bins placed strategically around the town. And if you wish to photograph the locals, do first seek their permission.

Shopping

Nainital is famous for candles created locally in attractive shapes and colors. Interestingly, The Mall has an array of shops dedicated to candles in different themes. Walk into one such store, and you will be spellbound by the sheer use of colors, the textures and the shapes they have been cast into. These colorful pieces of wax make a very thoughtful souvenir for your friends and family back home. You are recommended to shop for armloads of them - unlikely you’ll find such a great variety elsewhere, besides they don’t burn much of a hole in your pocket!

Outside of candles, the hill station has shops specializing in wooden handicrafts, including beautifully carved canes. And if you take to preserves, pop into one of the shops selling an assortment of fruit preserves made of locally grown produce – this includes jams, pickles, squashes, fruit juices, not to mention farm fresh apples, peaches and cherries among others.

Nainital is a great place to shop for woolen clothing remarkable for their dense threadwork. The local market is always full with beautifully embroidered shawls, colorful sweaters, caps and gloves. While Mall Road remains the main shopping hub, other shopping districts offering an equally interesting range are Barra Bazaar, Tibetian Bazaar, Mallital and Nallital Bazaars.

Communications

Nainital is well connected with the rest of India and the world through a comprehensive network of cell phones and fixed phone lines.

Nainital is serviced by almost all major telecommunication providers of India. Cell phone services are provided by AirTel, Tata Indicom, Vodafone, Idea! Cellular and Dolphin. Most of these providers offer GSM, CDMA or limited mobility phones as well as calling cards. Furthermore, there are several Public Call Offices across the town, which offer STD/ISD and local phone services. Some also offer Fax services.

Internet Access: The town is dotted with several Internet cafés. Rates may vary depending on the service provider. Apart from cyber cafes, majority of the hotels (except budget hotels) in Nainital offer Internet connectivity to their resident guests.

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