Things to do in Mall Road Nainital

I visited this beautiful hill station enriched with spectacular natural landscapes located at the foothills of Kumaon range a few years back. It is the district in Devbhumi Uttrakhand and serves as the state judicial capital. The abundance of natural beauty makes it thrive on tourism. Other towns and tourist destinations in the Nainital district include Almora, Ranikhet, Bhowali, Haldwani, Kaladhungi, Ramnagar, Bhimtal, Ramgarh, Mukteshwar, Sattal, and Naukuchiatal.

Nainital is a popular hill station in Uttrakhand. The name is derived from Goddess Sati’s left eye Naini. When Lord Shiva was carrying Goddess Sati’s body in grief, Lord Vishnu had to cut her body with his Sudarshan Chakra into 52 parts which fell on earth and became sacred sites. Nainital is a place where Devi Sati’s left eye had fallen, and it came to be known as Nainital. Near the Nainital Lake, Goddess Naini’s holy temple is situated. Nainital means Eye (Nain) Lake (Tal).

Nainital is also called the lake of three sages - Arti, Pulastya, and Pulaha. In 'Manas Khand' of the 'Skanda Purana' the legend has that these three prime sages visited for a pilgrimage and couldn't find water. They dug a hole and transferred water from the sacred Mansarovar Lake in Tibet to this place.

From Delhi, Nainital is distanced at 325 KMs and has a beautiful Himalayan road-trip experience. You can visit using public and private buses or personal vehicles. Some bikers go on their bikes for an experience. Khatgodham is the nearest railway station at 25 Kms distance from Nainital and you can use road transport facilities from there to reach the beautiful lake destination.

The Britishers found this place attractive and renovated as per their style when they colonized India. There are monuments and buildings in the British architectural style.

I visited Nainital with my parents in April 2015. If you are visiting in a private vehicle you need to be careful and proactive about the parking arrangements.

Here are the important places you can visit in Nainital:

• Naina Devi Temple: It is a sacred pilgrimage as it is a Shakti Pith. It is a devotional place for Hindus and a significant part of Hinduism.
• Nainital Lake: Nainatal Lake is at the center of the city, and you can enjoy sunrise and sunsets while boating. When I visited here with my parents, my dad kept on singing ‘Jis gali mein tera ghar na ho balma’ while boating, a popular song from the early 70s picturized on Rajesh Khanna and Asha Parekh with vocals from Mukesh on musical notes of R.D Burman from the movie Kati Patang that was shot in the very spot. The water was clear and beautiful. It is crowded in the evening hours of sunset.

• Mall Road: At Mall Road, you can enjoy shopping and looking for street food as well as restaurants. It is built around the Lake, and you can enjoy the lake view it is amazing at night. Street vendors sell garments and handicraft items at a lower price.

• Snow Viewpoint: It is a beautiful Himalayan gem 2 KMs away from the Nainital Lake. You can visit here with a cab or via ropeway. From the binoculars installed there, you can see the high snow-covered mountain peaks; Nanda Devi Peak, Nanda Kot Peak, and the Trishul Peak.
• Tiffin Top: Also known as Dorothy’s Seat, this place gives a 360-degree view of Nainital surrounding Kumaon mountains. You can visit here by trekking and hiking and also personal vehicle. You can do activities like Rock Climbing, Rappelling and Horse Riding. Sunsets and Sunrises are popular and beautiful here.

• Eco Cave Garden: This destination is a bunch of natural rocky caves developed into a garden. A musical fountain with AV effects complements the attraction of this place.
• Nainital Zoo: If you like to see endangered species like the Royal Bengal Tiger, Sambar, Tibetan Wolves, Leopard Cat, Barking Deer, Japanese Macaque and the Himalayan bear and birds like Golden Pheasant, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Kalij Pheasant, Lady Amherst Pheasant, Steppe Eagle, Hill Partridge, White Peafowl, Blossom Headed Parakeet and Red Junglefowl then you should visit here. The entry ticket costs 200 bucks. There is a charge for carrying a camera as well, 25 bucks for a still camera and 200 bucks for a professional video camera.
• Naina Peak: Naina Peak is the highest hilltop in the town with an altitude of 2,615 m above sea level. It is freezing. You can do trekking activities here at this spot. From the nearby areas of Bhimtal Lake, you can hire a horse to visit the spot. Raj Bhawan is the Governor House of Nainital. Build in the British Raj era in British architectural style, this place is a heritage site. This place has a golf course of 18 holes.

Nainital is a popular destination for summer vacations. It can be visited in all the months, but the ideal time would be March to June as the temperature is between 11 degrees C to 28-degree C. July to September it is slightly cooler with rains and the temperature varies from 20 degrees C to 18 degrees C. October to February have snowfalls and its very freezing with 0-degree C to 12-degree C.

About Devesh Purohit:

Devesh Purohit is a Mumbai-based PR Professional who likes to share his navigation experiences.