The beautiful lake City in the Kumaon Himalayas-Nainital-celebrates its 173rd Foundation Day on Tuesday (November 18). It was on November 18, 1841 that Peter Barren, a British businessman, “discovered” Nainital and only after that did it begin developing when the British made it their summer residence.
Some organisations criticise the celebrations of the foundation day as they believe that the town had thrived for long years before the Englishman had appeared. One may agree with them, but, at the same time, these celebrations help people to realise the worth of the lake city and re-strengthen its image in the minds of people in the country and abroad.
Till Barren came to Nainital, the town had only a religious significance. Down the centuries, it has acquired the status of an important tourist destination the world over.
However, the town has also suffered enormous environmental degradation down the years. The Naini lake, which is the heart of the town, has undergone drastic changes due to pollution. Activists of the Nainital Bachao Sangharsh Samiti have been appealing to residents to help prevent the town from becoming a concrete jungle, save its environment and its famous picturesque lake.
This lake has featured in innumerable scenes and songs of our Hindi films. These songs include ‘Dinn hain bahaar ke, tere mere ikraar ke’ ( Waqt), ‘jis gali mein tera ghar na ho Baalma’ (Kati Patang) and scenes of the old film Shagun. Koi Mil gaya was also shot by Rakesh Roshan in Nainital.
The famous schools of Nainital like Sherwood College (the Big B’s Alma mater) and St. Joseph’s can also be seen in some movies. These places are familiar even to those who have never visited this lake town.
Uttarakhand Governor Dr Aziz Qureshi has been taking interest in promoting Nainital as a world class tourist destination across the globe.
The Governor’s Golf Cup tournament is held on a grand scale at the Raj Bhavan’s historic Golf Course every summer. This year, the Governor’s Gold Cup sailing Regatta was organised on the Governor’s initiative.
It was held on the lake and was hosted by the Nainital Yacht Club (NTYC), one of the oldest clubs in India, and is also known to be the highest sailing club in the world.
The Club is over a 100 years old now, and harbours a rich heritage and tradition. Besides promoting this great sport of sailing, the NTYC is also majorly responsible for promoting tourism in Nainital, by providing the thrill and experience of yachting to tourists coming from all over the world.
These yachts with their colourful sails are widely used in the promotion of Nainital as a lake destination. It was after a gap of about 40 years that the regatta was held this year.
The annual Sharadotsav of Nainital has also recently concluded where artistes, locals and others participate in large numbers and tourists flock to Nainital in autumn to witness this fest.
Nainital figures in some ancient myths of India. In the Manas Khand of the Skand Puranas, Nainital lake is called Tri-Rishi-Sarovar, hinting at the story of three sages, Atri, Pulastya and Pulaha, who, upon finding no water in Nainital, dug a large hole at the location of the present day lake and filled it with water from the holy lake Mansarovar in Tibet.
According to lore, a dip in Naini lake, “the lesser Manasarovar,” earns merit equal to a dip in the great lake.
It is also believed that The Naini lake is one of the 64 Shakti Peeths, or religious sites where parts of the charred body of Sati (Parvati) fell on earth while being carried by lord Shiva. The spot where Sati's eyes (or Nain) fell, came to be called Nain-tal or lake of the eye. The goddess Shakti is worshipped at the Naina Devi Temple on the north shore of the present day lake.
Uttarakhand is proud of its lake city, in fact, the lake district of Nainital, as it has religious, historic and scenic importance. Its lake has been known all over the world as has been its salubrious climate.
On this foundation day of the city, it would be an appropriate tribute to its beauty to resolve to do as much as is possible-on the individual as well as government level- to keep it the way it once was- unpolluted, uncongested and idyllic.