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Nainital Travel Guide
A
perfect Gem Popularly called the lake district because of a string of closely
located lakes (Bhim Tal, Sat Tal, Naukuchia Tal and, of course, Naini, Nainital
district has other claims to distinction :
Corbett, India's first national
park:
Kathgodam, nucleus of the timber trade and a railhead for Kumaon:
Bhowali, Major fruit market; and
Kaladhungi, fertile wheat bowl
and home of Jim Corbett.
Having its origin in the fropped left eye of goddess Sati, consort of Shiva,
the Naini lake waters are considered to be holy. The temple to Naini Devi on
the lakes's edge turns into a huge fair ground every autumn.
For tourist who enjoy bustle, there is a lot to do: boating, or sailing in vivid
coloured yachts; horse riding; walking along shady roads; taking the aerial
ropeway; and shopping for woollen handicrafts, shapely cnadles and wickerware.
Presenting entrancing views of the Himalayas are the several peaks surrounding
the opaline Naini lake: Nalna Peak (2611m) 5.6km - the highest; Laria Kanta
(2481m) 5.6 km- the next highest peak; Snow -view(2270m) 2.4 km - accessible
on horseback or by cable car ; Dorothy's Seat (2292m) 4.3 km- Offering a sectional
view of the town and its vicinity; and Land's Eng(2118 m) 4.8 km- presenting
a sweeping view of the gem -like Khurpa Tal Hanumangarhi (1951 m) 3 km - a religious
centre; State Observatory(1951 m) 4 km - a centre for astronomical studies ;
and Kilbury(2194m) 11km - a sylvan retreat ideal for a trek, are other nearby
places of interest.
Excursions:
Bhimtal:
(1371
M, 22 km) Bigger than Naini, this lake is name after on of the Pandavas, heroes
of the epic Mahabharat. Accommodation, boating and fishing facilities are available
at this scenic resort.
Bhowali:
1706 M 11 km En route to Ranikhet or Almora, it is a major fruit mart and health
resort Only 3 km from here is Ghorakahl, famous for a temple to Gollu Devta,
a demi-god highly revered by the Kumaonis.
Corbett National Park:
115 km (via Kaladhungi) This is one of India's best known wildlife sanctuaries.
Commemorating the celebrated hunter- conservator Jim Corbett, it spreads over
526 sq km of forested area.
The wildlife here consists of tiger, panther, wild bear, sloth bear, elephants,
deer python, and crocodiles among others. An astonishing number (585) of bird
species have been spotted in the park.
Jeolikote:
1219 M 18 km This is a health resort and a bee-keeping centre. Strawberries
grow here in plenty. Also an attraction for butterfly catchers.
Naukuchia Tal:
1218
M 26 KM This is nine-cornered lake which receives migratory birds. Both yachts
and paddle boats are available for plying on the lake waters.
Ramgarh:
25 km This is known as the home of Kumaon orchards. Prosperous estates can be
seen here.
Sat Tal:
21 km There are three lakes (of the original seven Sat), named after the epic
personages Ram, Sita and Lakshman near the main resort. The others are some
distance away.
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Himalayas - - -› People
& Tribes of Himalayas
People & Tribes of Himalayas
The
population, settlement, and economic patterns within the Himalayas have been
greatly influenced by the variations in topography and climate, which impose
harsh living conditions and tend to restrict movement and communication. People
living in remote, isolated valleys have generally preserved their cultural identities.
However, improvements in transportation and communication, particularly satellite
television programs from Europe and the United States, are bringing access from
the outside world to remote valleys. These outside influences are affecting
traditional social and cultural structure.
Nearly 40 million people inhabit the Himalayas. Generally, Hindus of Indian
heritage are dominant in the Sub-Himalayas and the Middle Himalayan valleys
from eastern Kashmir to Nepal. To the north Tibetan Buddhists inhabit the Great
Himalayas from Ladakh to northeast India.
In central Nepal, in an area between about 1830 and 2440 m (between about 6000
and 8000 ft), the Indian and Tibetan cultures have intermingled, producing a
combination of Indian and Tibetan traits. The eastern Himalayas in India and
nearby areas of eastern Bhutan are inhabited by animistic people whose culture
is similar to those living in northern Myanmar and Yunnan province in China.
People of western Kashmir are Muslims and have a culture similar to the inhabitants
of Afghanistan and Iran.
The economy of the Himalayas as a whole is poor with low per capita income.
Much of the Himalayas area is characterized by a very low economic growth rate
combined with a high rate of population growth, which contributes to stagnation
in the already low level of per capita gross national product. Most of the population
is dependent on agriculture, primarily subsistence agriculture; modern industries
are lacking.
Mineral resources are limited. The Himalayas has major hydroelectric potential,
but the development of hydroelectric resources requires outside capital investment.
The skilled labor needed to organize and manage development of natural resources
is also limited due to low literacy rates. Most of the Himalayan communities
face malnutrition, a shortage of safe drinking water, and poor health services
and education systems.
Agricultural land is concentrated in the Tarai plain and in the valleys of the
Middle Himalayas. Patches of agricultural land have also been carved out in
the mountainous forested areas. Rice is the principal crop in eastern Tarai
and the well-watered valleys. Corn is also an important rain-fed crop on the
hillsides.
Other cereal crops are wheat, millet, barley, and buckwheat. Sugarcane, tea,
oilseeds, and potatoes are other major crops. Food production in the Himalayas
has not kept up with the population growth.
The
major industries include processing food grains, making vegetable oil, refining
sugar, and brewing beer. Fruit processing is also important. A wide variety
of fruits are grown in each of the major zones of the Himalayas, and making
fruit juices is a major industry in Nepal, Bhutan, and in the Indian Himalayas.
Since 1950 tourism has emerged as a major growth industry in the Himalayas.
Nearly 1 million visitors come to the Himalayas each year for mountain trekking,
wildlife viewing, and pilgrimages to major Hindu and Buddhist sacred places.
The number of foreign visitors has increased in recent years, as organized treks
to the icy summits of the Great Himalayas have become popular. While tourism
is important to the local economy, it has had an adverse impact on regions where
tourist numbers exceed the capacity of recreational areas.
Historically, all transport in the Himalayas has been by porters and pack animals.
Porters and pack animals are still important, but the construction of major
roads and the development of air routes have changed the traditional transportation
pattern.
Major urban centers such as Kathmandu, Simla, and Srinagar, as well as important
tourist destinations, are served by airlines. Railways link Simla and Darjiling,
but in most of the Himalayas there are no railroads. The bulk of goods from
the Himalayas, as well as goods destined for places within the Himalayas, generally
come to Indian railheads, located in the Tarai, by road. The pack animals and
porters transport goods from road heads to the interior and back.
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