Naukuchiatal

Naukuchiatal Lake

Naukuchiatal or ‘lake of nine corners’ is a small beautiful hill station in Nainital district of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The lake is 175 feet deep and is situated at 1220 mts above sea level. It is surrounded by hills covered in trees and shrubs. It is the deepest of all the lakes in the Nainital region. Length of lake is 983 mts., breadth is 693 mts & depth 40.3 mts.It is within an enchanting valley offering an opportunity of angling and bird watching.. A picnic to this beautiful place also offers one with the tempting challenges like paragliding, fishing, rowing, paddling or yachting. Naukuchiatal will even enchant the picnicker with the rare adventurous activity of parasailing.^[1]The lake is fed by an underground perennial spring. Naukuchiatal is also famous for the 'escape festival' which happens once every year (in the month of may).

Location

The lake is situated 4 km from Bhimtal, and 26 km from Nainital, 320 km from Delhi. Nearest railway station is Kathgodam.

Mythology

It is believed that this lake was created after hard worship(Hindi "tap") of Brahmaji and a small temple dedicated to Brahmaji exist near the KMVN guesthouse. According to locals anyone performing a parikarma of the lake will be blessed by Brahmaji.

Climate

Temperatures range from, Summer: 11 C-26 C Winter: -2C-14 C. The best time to visit Naukuchiatal is between the months of March –June and September - November. The temperature remains comfortable and is apt for sightseeing.

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Few nearby places to visit

Hanuman Temple

Hanuman Temple is situated on the main road to Naukuchiatal. It has a 52 feet high statue of Lord Hanuman. Beautiful scenery of high mountains and valley add glory to the holy figure. The Temple has an artificial cave design on lines of the famous Vaishno Devi Shrine, which encircles the temple and leads to various sections - at the feet of the Statue of Lord Hanuman, three temples in the main premises, the resting/staying place for devotees, the meditation room, Ram Darbar temple, and the Shani Temple.

Mukteshwar

It is situated at a distance of 20 km from Naukuchiatal set at an elevation of 2,285mts above sea level. Mukteshwar got its name from a 350year old temple Mukteshwer Dham whose presiding deity is great Lord Shiva. The top of the mountain on which Mukteshwar Dham is stood offers stupendous views of Himalayan range. Mukteshwar was developed by the Britishers as research and education institute by setting up Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in 1893.

Sat Tal ('Seven Lakes')

Sat Tal is a cluster of mysteriously interconnected seven freshwater lakes situated 19 km away from Naukuchia Tal. Sat Tal is set at an altitude of 1370 mts above sea level. The group of lakes is set amidst dense forests of oak and pine trees. These lakes are paradise for migratory birds as they stay for some time here during their migration. Sattal is one of the few unspoiled and unpolluted fresh water biomes in India. The names of the seven lakes of Sattal are Purna Tal, Ram Tal, Sita tal, Laxman Tal, Nal Damyanti Tal, Sukh Tal and Garud Tal. Sattal is often compared with Westmoreland of England by Britishers.

Nainital

The most famous and busiest hill station in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand state. It is situated at a distance of 33 km from Naukuchia Tal at an elevation of 1,938mts above sea level. Nainital is named after an eye shaped lake set amidst the mountains with thick alpine trees. The lake is on its majestically height during the night time when the light of the houses, cottages and hotels situated on the mountains covering Nainital reflects upon it and makes the view invigorating.

Almora

Almora is famous for its magnificent beauty, panoramic view of the Himalayas, rich cultural heritage, exquisite wildlife, unique handicrafts and delicious cuisine. It is located at a height of 5,400 ft above sea level and is spread across a 5 km ridge atop Kashaya Hill. It is surrounded by Pithorgarh to the east, Garhwal to the west, Bageshwar to the north and Nainital to the south. The picturesque landscape of Almora attracts hundreds of tourists each year. It is situated 72 km from Naukuchia Tal.

Ranikhet

Ranikhet is situated 7 3 km from Naukuchia Tal set at an altitude of 1,869 mts above sea level. Ranikhet is a hill station in Almora District of Uttarakhand state and is maintained by Ranikhet Cantonment Board. Ranikhet is also the home for Kumaon regiment and Naga regiment of Indian Army.

Bhim Tal

It is situated at a distance of 5 km from Naukuchia Tal at an altitude of 1,375mts above sea level. The main attraction in Bhimtal is the Bhimtal Lake which has a small island at its centre. Bhimtal is an ancient place named after the legendary Bhima of Mahabharata when Bhima visited the place during the exile period of pandavas. Bhimtal is older than the town of Nainital and is considered as one of the best excursions from Nainital.

Haldwani

Haldwani is situated in the Nainital district of Kumaon region of Uttarakhand state at an average elevation of 425mts above sea level. Haldwani is situated in the foothills of Himalayas in the bhabhar region of the Indo-Gangetic plains. Haldwani is popularly known as the 'gateway of kumaon' sharing its twin township with Kathgodam. The hills of the Kumaon region commence from this picturesque spot and the temperature decreases as you climb. Since beginning Haldwani has been an important trading hub of Kumaon.

See also

• Lakes of Kumaon hills

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Naukuchiatal.

http://nainital.nic.in/pages/display/187-naukuchiyatal

http://www.holidayiq.com/destinations/Naukuchiatal-Overview.html

http://www.trodly.com/destination/4490/naukuchiatal