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"NAINITAL"
was founded in the year 1841 by Mr. P. Barron, a European
merchant and an enthusiastic hunter from Rosa, near Shahjahanpur.
Mr.P.Barron was the first European who took great fancy to this
land. Moved by the beauty of the sparkling lake he wrote: "It
is by far the best site I have witnessed in the course of a 1,500
miles treak in the Himalayas."
In due course it became the summer capital of then United Province
dotted with lakes, Nainital has earned the epither of ' The Lake
District of India '
It is very less is known about the history of Nainital. This region
was called "Khasdesh" in ancient times and
"Khasis" ruled this region before Christ
was born.
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Massive Distruction Faced By The Region
Nainital suffered a drastic reversal on 18 September, 1880. The hill
at the northern end of the lake on which stood the Victoria Hotel,
was washed away by two days of incessant rain.
Landslides crushed houses in their path, burying people alive. Soon
after, the hill over the Victoria Hotel collapsed, crushing a rescue
team of soldiers and civilians.
More than 150 people died in the landslides, after which the area
was flattened, and is now known as the Flats
The town became the summer headquarters of the colonial administration
of the province. It was a popular retreat for the residents of the
plains. Being popular with the British, the town developed a British
character with several European schools, barracks, a sanatorium and
a racecourse, of which this is a view.
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Nainital the ' Lake District
of India' has been privileged with as many as 60 lakes. With
the passage of time some 40 lakes disappeared because of deforestation,
pollution and a general lack of awareness.
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MYTHOLOGY ABOUT NAINITAL
Once
the Nainital area had many lakes and it was called the City of 60
lakes or 'Chakta' The Nainital Lake finds mention in the
Manas Khand (chapter) of the Skanda Purana (scriptures) as the Tririshi
Sarovar, i.e., the lake of the three sages (or rishis).
Atri, Pulastya and Pulaha. Legend has it that in the course of their
pilgrimage the three sages arrived here, only to find the place
without water. Meditating on the sacred and bountiful sanctum lake
of Tibet namely Manasarovar Lake, they dug a hole here. So great
was the power of their tapasya (meditation) that the
hole soon filled with water.
According to a legend King Daksha held a great 'Yajna'
but did not invite Parvati and her consort Shiva. Parvati could
not bear this direct insult, in her great fury Parvati gate-crashed
into the 'Yajna' ground and leaped into the high flames
of 'Yajna' fire to end her life and later Lord Shiva
retrieved her half-charred corpse himself. His Chakra and cut the
Sati’s body into fifty one pieces to save the earth from Shiva’s
wrath. All the fifty one places - where parts of Sati's body fell,
became known as Shakti Peeths.
It is said that the shimmering green waters of the Naini Lake is
a reflection of the emerald green eye of Sati. The majority of the
local people believe that the eyes of Sati dropped in the
lake while her body was being carried by Lord Shiva to Kailesh Parvat.
Hence, the lake was given the name of 'Nainital' or
Naini lake. Later the spot became famous by this very name.
MYTHOLOGY
ABOUT NEAR BY PLACES OF NAINITAL
There
are many places Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand which have religious connection
Epics like MAHABHARATA and RAMAYANA.
It is said that Padava spent their 14 yrs of exile in Uttarakhand.
They constructed several temples in Uttarakhand
during their stay here and finally they went to Heaven from the
Uttarakhand itself. There are several places in Uttarakhand
which have connection with Ramanayana also.
Mukteshwar (Nainital)
Mukteshwar has served as a retreat and also carries much religious
significance. According to local belief and folklore the Pandavas
as well as many gods and Devtas of the Hindu pantheon have graced
it with their presence.
Bhimtal
(Nainital)
Bhimtal, earlier known as Bhimsarovar, is believed to be the stamping
ground of the Pandavas. According to the locals the town is named
so because when the Pandanvas had been exiled in this region they
could not find a water body from which they could quench their thirst.
It was then that Bhima, the powerful, hit the ground with his "gada"
or club thus creating a cavity in the ground, which was filled with
an underground source of water. The Bhimeshwar temple is said to
have been set up by the Pandavas, who established a Shivling there.
Saattal (Nainital)
Religious beliefs pertaining to the Saattal lakes go back to the
times of the Mahabharata. The Nal Damayantital is named after King
Nal. King Nal, one of the most famous kings of Hindu mythology,
was sentenced to a fourteen year exile by his brother, Pushkar.
Penniless and ostracised, he and his wife Damayanti sought refuge
in Sattal, among other places.
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The name "NAINA"
which means eye is derived from a temple to
the goddess 'Naini Devi" built on the upper edge of
the lake and was destoyed by the landslip of 1880.
It was subsequently replaced by the present structure. The word "Naini"
means 'Eyes' and 'Tal' means 'Lake'.
The perimeter of the Naini Tal lake is of nearly 2 miles. |
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Though the temple is named after Naina Devi (another name
for Sati), the biggest social occasion here is the festival
held in honour of Nanda Devi.
The patron goddess of Kumaon hills and a local princess
Sunanda Devi.
On
the northern side of the lake is built a temple dedicated to Sati
and is called
the Naina Devi temple.
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Naina Devi temple is situated atop Naina hillock in Nainital. Thousands
of pilgrims gather here every year around September to worship Goddess
Parvati. |
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However
long you stay, it will never be enough!
