Nainital
Nainital, formerly anglicized as Naini Tal, is a town and headquarters of Nainital district of Kumaon division, Uttarakhand, India. It is the judicial capital of Uttarakhand, the High Court of the state being located there and is the headquarters of an eponymous district. It also houses the Governor of Uttarakhand, who resides in the Raj Bhavan. Nainital was the summer capital of the United Provinces.
Nainital is located in the Kumaon foothills of the outer Himalayas at a distance of from the state capital Dehradun and from New Delhi, the capital of India. Situated at an altitude of above sea level, the town is set in a valley containing an eye-shaped lake, approximately two miles in circumference, and surrounded by mountains, of which the highest are Naina Peak on the north, Deopatha on the west, and Ayarpatha 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, bound by the great snowy range which forms the central axis of the Himalayas." The hill station attracts tourists round the year.
Etymology and mythology
It is believed that the Naini Lake is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths, based on the story of the death of the goddess Sati. Out of grief and sorrow, Shiva carried Sati's body, reminiscing about their moments as a couple, and roamed around the universe with it. Vishnu had cut her body into 52 body parts, using his Sudarshana Chakra, which fell on Earth to become sacred sites where all the people can pay homage to the Goddess. The spot where Sati's right eye fell, came to be called Nain-tal or lake of the eye. The goddess Shakti is worshiped at the Naina Devi Temple, known by locals as Naini Mata Temple on the north shore of the present day lake.History
Early history
Nainital has historically been a part of the Kumaon region. After the fall of Katyuri Dynasty in 10th century, Kumaon was divided into several small princely states, and the region around Nainital was under various branches of a Khasiya family. The first dynasty to achieve consolidated dominance over Kumaon after the Katyuris was the Chand dynasty, but it took many centuries and Nainital and its surroundings were one of the last areas to be absorbed. Trilok Chand had built a fort at Bhimtal in the thirteenth century, But at that time, Nainital itself was not under the Chand rule, and was situated near the western border of the Kingdom. During the reign of Udyan Chand, the western boundary of the Chand kingdom extended to the Koshi and Suyal rivers, but Ramgarh and Kota were still under the former Khasia rule. Kirat Chand, who ruled from 1488 to 1503 was finally able to establish authority over Nainital and the surrounding region. The Khasia chiefs made an attempt to regain their independence in 1560, when they enjoyed a brief moment of success under the leadership of a Khasiya of Ramgarh, but were later subdued with ruthlessness by Balo Kalyan Chand.Founding
The Kumaon Hills came under British rule after the Anglo-Nepalese War. The hill station town of Naini Tal was founded only in 1841, with the construction of the first European house by P. Barron, a sugar trader from Shahjahanpur. In his memoir, he wrote: "It is by far the best site I have witnessed in the course of a trek in the Himalayas." In 1846, when a 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 military ranges were nearly above sea level: the rugged and woody AnyarpattaAashish
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. The church, St. John in the Wilderness, was one of the earliest buildings in Nainital, followed by Belvedere, Alma lodge, Ashdale Cottage..." Soon, the town became a health resort favoured by British soldiers and by colonial officials and their families trying to escape the heat of the plains. Later, the town became the summer residence of the governor of the United Provinces.
Landslip of 1880
On 18 September 1880 a landslide occurred at the north end of the town, burying 151 people. The first known landslide had occurred in 1866, and in 1869 there was a larger one at the same spot, Alma Hill, but "the great slip" occurred on "Saturday 18 September 1880."The number of dead and missing were 108 Indian and 43 Europeans, along with numerous people who narrowly escaped. 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 erected. To prevent further disasters, storm water drains were constructed and building bylaws were made stricter.
1950 mass stabbing
A mass stabbing occurred at a wedding in Nainital in 1950 that left 22 people dead.Geography
Topography
The town of Nainital covers a total area of, and is located at, at an average elevation of above sea level. The slopes of the nearby mountains are most populated, with an altitude ranging from. The highest point nearby is the Naina Peak, with a height of. The town is located in the Kumaon foothills of the outer Himalayas at a distance of from the state capital Dehradun and from New Delhi, the capital of India.The town is set in a valley around the Nainital Lake - an eye-shaped lake, which is located at an altitude of from sea level. The lake is long and wide, and is approximately two miles in circumference. The bed of the lake is at a depth of, the deepest point of the lake. The lake is deduced to have been formed tectonically. Balia Nala, which is the main stream feeding the lake is along a fault line and the subsequent streams align parallel to major joints and faults. 26 major drains feed the lake including the 3 perennial drains.
Nainital is surrounded by the mountains of Ayarpata, Devpata, Handibandi, Chini,, Alma, Lariya Kanta and Sher ka Danda.
Geology
The Krol group of rocks, comprising slates, marls, sandstones, limestones and dolomites with a few small dykes intrusives, is the dominant geological formation of Nainital's surroundings, although, Nodules, laminae and stringers of phosphatic material, followed upward by the purple-green shales intercalated with muddy fine-grained sandstone and siltstone; recognised as the Tal Formation; are also prevalent. The region has a complex geological framework; the rocks are fragile and newly formed. The town is completely located in the catchment area of the Nainital lake, which has highly folded and faulted rocks due to polyphase deformation.Landslides are a frequent occurrence in the hill slopes surrounding the lake, which are steep. The slopes are highly vulnerable to landslides and mass movement due to various geological and human factors. The first known landslip occurred in Nainital in 1866 on Alma hill, and in 1879 there was a larger one at the same spot. The greatest landslide in Nainital occurred on 18 September 1880, on the slope which rising from the north of the flats ends at Alma peak, and resulted in 151 people being buried under the debris. Another heavy landslip occurred on 17 August 1898 outside the Nainital valley.
Climate
Nainital experiences a subtropical highland climate according to Köppen–Geiger climate classification system as the town's climate is influenced by the elevation. The town is a bit dry during winter and very wet during summer due to South Asian monsoon system. The lowest precipitation total occurs in November with total, while the highest precipitation total occurs in July with total. Like most places in temperate region, Nainital has a relatively cool summer. The hottest month is July with temperature ranging from to, while the coldest month is January with temperature ranging from to. The highest temperature ever recorded in Nainital was recorded on 18 June 1972, while the lowest temperature was recorded on 17 January 1953.The winter season in Nainital commences by mid-November and lasts till mid-March. The temperature gradually declines from the month of November onwards and January is the coldest month. Frost and mist are common features in the months of December and January. Occasionally widespread rainfall also occurs due to western disturbance, with snow occurring on peaks higher than 2000m. The winter rainfall is sometimes associated with cyclonic activities. The temperature, however, shows an increasing trend by the end of February or the first half of March. By mid-March, there is a progressive rise in temperature, which indicates the onset of the summer season. While days get slightly warmer; the nights continue to be cool. There is a constant increase in temperature during May and early June when the highest temperature is recorded. The months of March and April are also associated with the occurrence of hailstorms, which brings a short spell of cold.
The onset of the summer in the hills is relatively earlier than the plains and is also very lengthy and humid. The mean temperature in July and August goes down and humidity rises abruptly during this season. The monsoon usually begins by mid-May when the rain strikes and continue until mid-October. Nainital, due to its proximity to the outermost high ranges of the Himalaya, receives high annual rainfall. Generally, by mid-September, the monsoon gets weakened and rain occurs generally after long intervals. With the retreat of the monsoon, the winds blow in a reverse direction. The weather during the post-monsoon months is characterised by bright skies. It is in fact a transition between the rains and the winters and with reduced rainfall, the monthly temperature records a progressive decline till mid-January.
Flora and fauna
The areas around Nainital, is rich in flora and fauna. The trees and bushes grown in the region with their botanical and common Indian names are: Quercus leucotrichophora Oak, Aesculus indica, Juglans regia, Populus ciliata, Fraxinus micrantha, Platanus orientalis, Rubus lasiocarpus, Rosa moschata, Berberis asiatica, Cupressus torulosa, Rhododendron arboreum, Cedrus deodara, Salix acmophylla , and Pinus.Several species of medicinal flora and horticulture plants have also been found in the lake. The Aquatic Macrophytic vegetation include Potamogeton pectinatus, Potamogeton crispus, Polygonum glabrum, Polygonum amphibium and Polygonum hydropiper. The fishes found in the lake are generally carps Mahseer, and the mirror carp which breed several times during one spawning season during May to September. Two species of Mahaseer fish viz., Tor tor: The red finned mahseer and the Tor putitora: The yellow finned mahseer, a food fish which grows to varying sizes from 20 to 60 cm are found. Three species of Hill Trout are found in the lake: the Schizothorax sinuatus, Schizothorax richardsoni and Schizothorax plagiostornus. The imported fish bred in the lake is Mirror carp or Cyprinus carpio. Gambusia affinis also called Mosquitofish has been introduced in the lake as a biocontrol measure to control Mosquito larvae.