Nainital - The Lake District of Uttarakhand

Nainital is a town in the Indian State of Uttarakhand and headquarters of Nainital District in the Kumaoon Foothills of the outer Himalays. Situated at an altitude of 1,938 meters (6,358 feet) above sea level, Nainital is set in a valley containing a pear-shaped lake, approximately two miles in circumference, and surrounded by mountains, of which the highest are Naina (2,615 m (8,579 ft)) on the north, Deopatha (2,438 m (7,999 ft)) on the west, and Ayarpatha (2,278 m (7,474 ft)) on the south.
Kathgodam 35 Kms. away is the last terminus of broad gauze line of North East Railways connecting Nainital with Delhi,Dehradun & Howarah .
We have taken Ranikhet express which departs from Old Delhi railway station at 10:45 PM daily , it reaches Kathgodam at 6:05 AM . At the time of return we have taken Uttaranchal Sampark Kranti Express , it start from Kathgodam at 8:50 AM in the morning and reaches Delhi at 3:20 PM and on the same day return from Delhi at 4:00 PM and reaches Kathgodam at 10:45 PM. Normal fare from Kathgodam to Nainital via bus is around Rs. 40 and via shared taxi is around RS. 60--80.

Places We Have Visited:

Lake :

The nucleus of Nainital’s exquisite beauty is beautiful lake .In the day ,mirrored in its waters stand seven proud hills,dotted with pretty cottages and villas . This reflection alone holds one spell bound. More beautiful than this however is the lake at night when the myriads of bulbs from the hill sides and quite a large number hanging near the lake’s edge stab their magic light into its waters.
The lake offers the holiday makers ample opportunity for yachting, boating or paddling the boat. Boating rates in conventional rowing boats ranges from Rs. 30/- to Rs. 50/- in peak season days from one end of lake to another end. Paddling boats are available on hourly rate from Rs. 50/- to Rs. 90/- depending on type of paddle boat and tourist rush. Rowing as well as paddling boats are available at both ends of lake.

Snow View :

It is the most easily accessible hill top, height 2270 mts. and at a distance of 2.5 Km from the town. The spot is accessible through ropeway . This peak is also connected by motor able road.

Naina Peak or China Peak:

Naina peak is the highest peak of the town , at an altitude of 2611 mts. and at a distance of 6 Kms from the town .It commands an entrancing view of sparkling snow laden Himalayas from Bandar Punch in west to Api and Nari peaks of Nepal in the east , a full Himalayan range in one side and a birds eye view of the lake city of Nainital in its full grandeur on the other.

Horse Riding And Lands End:

Horse riding is another important attraction for tourists in Nainital . Horses can be hired at Barapatthar . Several tourist use horses as their transport mode to visit the different peaks of Nainital. Hiring Horse @ 400 Rs per head for 2-3 hours we have visited several other places like Lands End (Picture Given Below), inside Jim Corbett National Park, Dorothy Seat & Tiffin Top etc. etc and its really paisa vasool...

Lovers Point and Suiside Point:
Hope no explanation needed!!!

Kilbury :
At an altitude of 2194 mts. and 10 Kms. from the town this place is accessible by a motor able road. There is a forest rest house for night stay.Kilbury is an ideal spot for a quiet and peaceful holiday.
Caves Garden :
This feature is the latest addition in the list of numerous tourism spots in Nainital . It is located in Sukha Tal around one Km from Mallital very near to Kumaun University Campus.

Hanuman Garhi :

It is around 3.5 Kms away from the bus stop at an altitude of 1951 Mts. Hanuman Garhi is a religious centre and famous for its sun set view .One can go to Hanuman Garhi by taxi, bus or even on foot from Nainital .It has a temple complex presiding deity being Lord Hanuman besides Ram and Shiva. At the instance of Neem Karoli Baba around 1950 these temples were built. On the other side of the hill there is Shitala Devi temple and Ashram of Lila Sah Bapu.

The Mall :

On one of side of lake run the Mall road now named Govind Ballabh Pant Marg. It is lined up by many hotels ,reataurents,travel agencies , shops ,banks and other business concerns. In summer months of May & June Mall road is closed for vehicular traffic in evening hours to facilitate Mall strolling which is the famous attraction for all the tourists. This road is the main link joining Mallital and Tallital.
On the other side of the lake lies the Thandi Road . It is comparatively less busy and have Pashan devi temple. Vehicles are not allowed on Thandi Road .

Governor’s House (Raj Bhavan) :

Raj Bhavan was built by British as residence of Governor of North West Province. Now Raj Bhavan is the official accommodation of Governor (Uttaranchal).State guests coming to Nainital also use it for their stay. It consists of a marvelous garden, Golf Links, Swimming Pool.Jhandidhar Modi Heights,Munshi heights are the other places in the complex worth seeing .The Governor’s House was built in the line of Buckingham Palace having double storied 113 rooms .For visiting this place prior permission is must.

Mini Golf:

Near bus stand, inside a hotel this miniature 9 whole golf course is available... its pure time pass in the back drop of Nainital...

After covering all these we went to Ranikhet... (To be continued...)

Trip to Gwalior

Gwalior a historical Indian city is located on the periphery of Madhya Pradesh. Gwalior is a composite entity of three urban sections: Gwalior the old city, Morar the cantonment area and Lashkar the new city. The new section Lashkar has developed as the prime area and bazaar with teeming factories, lucrative market complexes and show-rooms and administrative headquarters of Gwalior district and Chambal range. The old city of Gwalior embraces places and monuments of archaeological and architectural value. Morar has the famous Sun Temple and is a well-equipped military area with small but systematic market places.

Gwalior's history is traced back to a legend in 8th century AD when a chieftain known as Suraj Sen was struck by a deadly disease and cured by a hermit-saint Gwalipa. As a gratitude for that incidence, he founded this city on his name. The new city of Gwalior became existence over the centuries. The cradle of great dynasties ruled the city Gwalior. With different Dynasty, the city gained a new dimension from the warrior kings, poets, musicians, and saints who contributed to making it renowned throughout the country. Gwalior City was the Capital of the princely State of Gwalior until 1948 and the summer Capital of Madhya Bharat State from 1948 to 1956. When Madhya Bharat became part of Madhya Pradesh, it become separate District.

We have taken Taj express from Nizamudden Railway Station at 7.10 am 25th December 08 ( Chair Car - INR Rs. 110) and reached Gwalior around 1 pm. Then we take an auto (INR Rs 25) to reach Mahima Palace hotel near railway platform no 4 and booked two double bedded non ac room (Each room costing INR Rs. 400). After lunch we started our tour to visit major tourist spots in gwalior, which are listed below -

Jai Vilas Palace and Museum

A splendor of a different kind exists in the Jai Vilas Palace, current residence of the Scindia family. Some 25 rooms have been turned into the Jivaji Rao Scindia Museum, and in these rooms , so evocative of a regal lifestyle, that the past comes alive. Jai Vilas is an Italianate structure which combines the Tuscan and Corinthian architectural modes.

The imposing Darbar Hall has two central chandeliers weighing a couple of tones, and hung only after ten elephants had tested the strength of the roof. Ceilings picked out in gilt, heavy draperies and tapestries , fine Persian carpets and antique furniture from France and Italy are the features of these spacious rooms.Eye catching treasures includeA silver train with cut glass wagons which served guests as it chugged around the table on miniature rails; a glass cradle from Italy used for the baby Krishna each Janmashtami, silver dinner services and swords that were once worn by Aurangzeb and Shah Jahan. These are ,besides, personal momentous of past members of the Scindia family : the jeweled slippers that belonged to Chinkoo Rani , four-poster beds, gifts from practically every country in the world, hunting trophies and portraits. The Scindia Museum offers an unparalleled glimpse into the rich culture and lifestyle of princely India.

The Fort

Standing on a steep mass of sandstone, Gwalior Fort dominates the city and is its most significant monument. It has been in the scene of momentous events, imprisonment, battles and jauhars . A steep road winds upwards to the fort, flanked by statues of the Jain tirthankaras, carved into the rock face. The magnificent outer walls of the fort still stand, two miles in length and 35 feet high, bearing witness to its reputation for being one of the most invincible forts of India. This imposing structure inspired Emperor Babur to describe it as " the pearl amongst the fortresses of Hind ".

The FortStanding on a steep mass of sandstone, Gwalior Fort dominates the city and is its most significant monument. It has been in the scene of momentous events, imprisonment, battles and jauhars . A steep road winds upwards to the fort, flanked by statues of the Jain tirthankaras, carved into the rock face. The magnificent outer walls of the fort still stand, two miles in length and 35 feet high, bearing witness to its reputation for being one of the most invincible forts of India. This imposing structure inspired Emperor Babur to describe it as " the pearl amongst the fortresses of Hind ".

Gujari Mahal

Within the fort are some marvels of medieval architecture. The 15th century Gujari Mahal is a monument to the love of Raja Mansingh Tomar for his intrepid Gujar Queen, Mrignayani. The outer structure of Gujari Mahal has survived in an almost total state of preservation; the interior has been converted into Archaeological Museum housing rare antiquities, some of them dating back to the 1st century AD even though many of these have been defaced by the iconoclastic Mughals, their perfection of form has survived the ravages of time. Particularly worth seeing is the statue of Shalbhanjika from Gyraspur, the tree goddess, the epitome of perfection in miniature

Gurudwara Data Bandhi Chhod

Built in the memory of Guru Hargobind Saheb , the 6th Sikh Guru who was imprisoned here by Emperor Jehangir for over two years. It is located on the Gwalior Fort

Sas-Bahu Temples

As the name suggests, the Sas-Bahu temples, located on the other part of the fort, are not dedicated to a mother-in-law (Sas) and daughter-in-law (Bahu). Sas-Bahu is the name given to two adjacent temples of different sizes. The larger of the two is ornately decorated and sculpted with beautiful statuettes and intricate patterns.

Teli-ka-Mandir

The ninth century temple of Teli-ka-Mandir, built in Dravidian form, is believed to be the oldest in the fort. The sculptures are particularly North Indian. Devoted to Lord Vishnu, a figure of garuda (mythical bird) resides on top of the 10-metre-high doorway.

Suraj Kund

Constructed in the 15th century, the Suraj Kund complex dates back to as early as AD 425. This is considered to be the place where Sage Gwalipa healed Suraj Sen of leprosy with the waters of this pool.

Tomb of Mohammad Ghaus

Another tourist attraction in Gwalior is the tomb of Mohammad Ghaus, a saint of the Islamic faith of the 16th century. Associating hardly any importance from a historical point of view, the tomb exudes sheer beauty. The stone carvings in the panels of screen work create a magical charm.

Memorial of Tansen

Next to the tomb of Ghaus is located another small tomb – the Memorial of Tansen. This is the memorial built to commemorate Tansen, the great musician and one of the nine gems of Akbar’s court. It is here that the annual Tansen Sangeet Samaroh, a world-renowned music festival, is held.

On the next day we take a 3 hr long bad bus ride to shivpuri... To be continued...