108 Abode of Gods
stretches towards the deep green of the Tarai forests to the light
green of the intensely cultivated fields.
This beautiful lake town came into being due to the efforts of
an adventurous Englishman named Batton who visited Nainital in
March 1839 while on a shoot at Haldwani with his brother-in-law
Mr. P. Barren. Mr. Barron gave a vivid description of his find
in 'Agra Akhbar' under the name of pilgrims. Barron visited
Nainital again in December 1842. This time, he came via
Bhimtal and brought with him a boat. Thus Nainital was put on
the tourist map by this adventurous Englishman and thereafter,
Nainital has never looked back. Today it is one of the gayest
and most crowded hill stations.
The lake town
The name of Nainital is well known to all classes of tourists
but very few know the legend behind it which states that in
ancient times it was known as Tri Rishi Sarovar. The legend
goes that three of the seven Rishis, Atri, Pulsatya and Pulaha,
came to Uttarakhand for a pilgrimage to Chitrasila. They medi-
tated on top of a hill and after sometime when they looked down
they saw that no water was available. They prayed to Brahma
for water who filled the valley down below with water. Thus a
lake came into being which later on became the abode of Narayani
Devi who is supposed to live in the bottom of the lake.
After thirty six km, drive from Kathgodam, the traveller
approaches the road's dead end, where he confronts below his feet
the lake of Naina Devi, the local goddess whose temple stands at
the water's edge.
The lake of Nainital with its shining waters of lovely turquoise
hue, glance up from the depths of their glen. The lake was first
sounded in 1871 by Dr. Ansbury. He fixed the length from east
to west as 702 feet, the width at Smugglers rock 792 feet and at
the broadest point as 1518 feet, the circumference as 11,880 feet
and the depth between 20 and 97 feet.
Nainital is surrounded with a cluster of lakes, out of which
Bhimtal is most famous where a beautiful sheet of water surroun-
ded by high wooded hills, and just over a 800 metre in length and
3CO metres in breadth. Its water is of a bluish green and very
clear. Fish is available in plenty and can be observed leaping up