Nainital

The number of dead and missing were 108 Indian and 43 Europeans, along with numerous people who narrowly escaped. (See poem by Hannah Battersby on the page Literary references to Nainital.) 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.

left|thumb|Scenic view of the Nainital from Tallital, the lower end of the lake.

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 (). Another heavy landslip occurred on 17 August 1898 outside the Nainital valley.

thumb|Forest in Nainital after snowfall (2020)

Climate

Nainital experiences a subtropical highland climate (Cwb) 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.

Flora and fauna

The areas around Nainital (in the middle Himalayan ranges up to , a temperate zone), is rich in flora (typical temperate climate plants) and fauna. The trees and bushes grown in the region (lake's basin) with their botanical and common Indian names (in parentheses) are: Quercus leucotrichophora Oak (Banj), Aesculus indica (Pangar or Horse chestnuts), Juglans regia (Akhrot or walnut), Populus ciliata (Hill Pipal, a sacred tree), Fraxinus micrantha (Ash tree or Angu), Platanus orientalis (Chinar), Rubus lasiocarpus (Hisalu), Rosa moschata (Kunj or Musk rose), Berberis asiatica (Kilmora), Cupressus torulosa (Surai or Himalayan cypress), Rhododendron arboreum (Buruns), Cedrus deodara (Deodar), Salix acmophylla (Weeping Willow), and Pinus (Pine).

1901–2011: District Census Handbook: Nainital

| 1881 | 6576

| 1891 | 8455

| 1901 | 7609

| 1911 | 10270

| 1921 | 11230

| 1931 | 9741

| 1941 | 9539

| 1951 | 12350

| 1961 | 14495

| 1971 | 23986

| 1981 | 24835

| 1991 | 29837

| 2001 | 38630

| 2011 | 41377

thumb|A [[Kumaoni people|native boatman on the Naini Lake.]]

As of the 2011 Indian census, Nainital had a population of 41,377. Males constitute 52.3% of the population and females 47.7%, which gives the town a sex ratio of 911 women per every 1000 men, which is less than the Uttarakhand state average of 963 women per every 1000 men. The population density was 3527.45 people per square km. Hindi and English also serve as lingua franca between locals and tourists/outsiders.

Government and politics

Civic Administration

The municipal board of Nainital had its origin in 1845, when the provisions of the Act I of 1842 were sanctioned by the government in the town, which then applied to approximately two thirds of the total population. It was the second Municipal Board of North Western Provinces.

Politics

Nainital town is represented in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament, by a representative elected from the Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar Constituency. Ajay Bhatt (politician), from BJP, is the current Member of Parliament from Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar. He won the 2024 Indian general elections by 3,31,481 votes against Prakash Joshi from the Congress. Prior to the delimitation of the Loksabha Constituencies of Uttarakhand in 2008, the town was a part of the Nainital Lok Sabha constituency. Sarita Arya of the BJP is the current MLA from Nainital Assembly constituency.

Notable sites

Nainital Zoo

The Nainital Zoo is located on Tallital, Sher Ka Danda Hill at height of 2,100m or 6900 ft above sea level. The zoo was officially named as G. B. Pant High Altitude Zoo.

Jama Masjid

thumb|Jama Masjid Mosque, Nainital

The Jama Masjid of Nainital, located in Mallital area of Nainital, is a mosque which was built in 1882 during the British Raj. The most notable feature is the mihrab where a niche shows the direction towards Mecca.

Naina Devi Temple

thumb|A view of the Maa Naina Devi Temple, Mallital, Nainital, Kumaon, India

The temple of Naina Devi is located at the upper end of Naini lake. This temple is dedicated to the goddess of the town, Naina Devi. Its complex becomes the location of the Nanda Devi Mela festival which held every year on Nandashtami during September.

St John Wilderness Church

thumb|A view of St John in the Wilderness Church, Sukhatal, Mallital, Nainital, Kumaon. St. John in the Wilderness is one of the oldest and finest churches in Nainital. The church is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. This Anglican Church was built in 1846 and is one of the earliest buildings erected in Nainital.

Eco Cave Gardens

Eco Cave Gardens is a cluster of naturally formed rocky caves. It is close to the Mall Road. It has 6 caves formed in the shape of animals.

Libraries

thumb|A view of Durga Lal Shah Municipal Public Library, Nainital, Kumaon, India

There are a number of libraries in the Nainital area. Among them are the Durga Lal Shah Municipal Public Library on the Mall, founded in 1934, the Uttarakhand Academy of Administration, Library and Documentation Center, Mallital, the ARIES Observatory Library, and the Kumaon University Library, Nainital.

Transport

Roadways

thumb|The old roadways bus station is located at Tallital in front of the [[Naini Lake.]]

Nainital can be reached by the National Highway 109 (previously National Highway 87) from Haldwani, away, or by State Highway 13 from Bajpur, away.

Airways

The nearest airport is in Pantnagar near Rudrapur, about from Nainital. Alliance Air, Air Heritage and Deccan Charters are the three carriers, that connect the airport to Delhi, Dehradun and Pithoragarh.

Railways

The closest major railway station is Kathgodam, on the outskirts of Haldwani, which is connected with almost all major cities of the country.

Education

thumb|right| [[St. Joseph's College, Nainital from Tiffin Top (Dorothy's Seat)]]

In the latter half of the 19th century a number of "European" schools for boys and girls were founded in Nainital. During the Victorian and Edwardian eras, students in these schools consisted largely of children of the British colonial officials or soldiers. The Diocesan Girls' High School, now known as All Saints' College, was established in 1869, near where the High Court of Uttarakhand stands today. By 1906, there were over half a dozen such schools, In 1888, celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2013. Another important school for girls, St. Mary's Convent High School, Nainital (popularly known as Ramnee), was established in 1878, and celebrated its 125th anniversary in year 2003.

Notable people

Sukirti Kandpal, TV actress
Sudhir Kakar, renowned psychoanalyst
Eric Maturin, British actor
Rajendra K. Pachauri, chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Manish Pandey, cricketer who plays for Karnataka and Bangalore
Jim Corbett, Hunter, writer and naturalist
Nirmal Pandey, Bollywood actor and singer
Govind Ballabh Pant, statesman and leader of India's independence movement, first Indian Premier of British India, the first Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and the third Home Minister of India
Krishna Chandra Pant, former Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of India. Educated at St. Joseph's College.
Hamida Saiduzzafar, ophthalmologist
Henry Stephens Salt, considered as the 'father of animal rights'. Born in Nainital.
Narayan Dutt Tiwari, Indian leader and politician, former Governor of Andhra Pradesh, former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, and former Finance Minister of India.
Orde Charles Wingate, British general and commander of the Chindits in Burma during World War II