History of Nainital

Nainital is one of the most beautiful places in Uttarakhand. It finds mention in several ancient texts such as ‘Manas Khand’ of Skandapurana. Then there is legend of Ma Sati’s charred eye falling here to form the Naini Lake, its name taken form the Hindi word Naina which means eye. Kumaon & Garhwal areas were occupied by the British in 1815. Afterwards,E Gardiner was appointed the commissioner of Kumaun Division in 1815. Mr. G.W. Traill, the second commissioner of Kumaun, was the first European to visit Nainital.

Later, in the year 1839 a British businessman Mr. P Barron (a sugar trader) and his friend, an avid hunter, strayed into the hills while hunting. They got lost and in the process spotted this wonderful place. Barron was so captivated by the place that he left the sugar business and built a European Colony on shores of the Naini Lake. In the year 1841, the discovery of Nainital appeared in an issue of the 'Englishman Calcutta'. The offices gradually started to shift here and a formal Nainital Municipal Corporation was formed in 1850 to provide basic facilities to the residents.

To catalyze the development of a township, the government reassigned land in Nainital to the affluent Sah community of Almora, on the clause that they would construct only accommodations on the land. In 1862, Nainital officially became the ‘Summer Seat’ of the North-Western Provinces. After that the development progressed at rapid speed. Many residential schools and colleges were established to provide education to the people.

In an extreme reversal of fortune, a massive landslide on 18th September 1880 caused by continuous rain washed away the Victoria Hotel. About 151 people were killed under the hotel’s debris. Though the military was called in for help, people could not be saved. After this incident, the area was flattened and leveled for parking.

Origins Of Nainital
Like most other Indian cities, the chronicles of early origin of Nainital is also veiled in ancient mythology, thereby, weaving an intriguing tale of the city's past. The early reference of the city can be traced back to the Puranas and the ancient epic tale of 'Manas Khand,' which forwards an interesting anecdote on the origin of the lake. It is believed that three sages -- Atri, Pulastya and Pulaha dug a large pit and named it as Tri-Rishi-Sarovar, which later came to be known as Nainital Lake or Naini Lake. The water in the lake was purportedly lugged from the sacred lake of Manasarovar in Tibet. The town has many such interesting fables to narrate that refer to the strong mythological import of the place.

Discovery Of Nainital
Nainital does not boast of any strong monarchial influences nor has any interesting anecdotes of gallant warriors to relate. Prior to its discovery, Nainital remained as a thick dense forest covered by copious vegetations until the 17th century. In 1841, a well-known European merchant named P. Barron came across a huge lake that was sheathed by acres of green land. He was awe struck by the sheer beauty of the place's natural surroundings. Words of the sugar merchant's description on Nainital reached the ears of many curious British officers who took it upon themselves to explore the landscape of Nainital. By 1846, the district came to be crowded by many English families who saw it as a potential health spa and later, as their summer retreat.

Natural Calamities
In the 17th century, Nainital experienced three landslides within a decade's time. The first landslide took place in the year 1866 followed by another mudslide in the year 1879. Although the records on casualties remain unknown, the damaged caused by the catastrophe casted a deep scar into the heart of the city. In 1880, parts of Nainital were submerged in a landslide and buildings like Bell's shop, Naina Devi Temple, Victoria Hotel, Volunteer Orderly Room became a part of its muddy rubble. The 1880 avalanche was said to be the worst and is believed to have claimed at least 151 lives. Post the calamity, the foothills of the Alma Hill was flattened and paved and was renamed as 'Flats'. Today, the flats serve as a recreational centre that is usually occupied by sport aficionados.

Further Developments
By the year 1880, Nainital had earned a name for being an exclusive British summer getaway in India. During the 19th century, the place became home to some of the best English schools that was only reserved for the English children. It was only in the 20th century that the place came to be populated by Indian bureaucrats, civil administrators and other professionals. By this time, the place had lost its English exclusivity tag as their numbers slumped by 1947. Many British families sold out there dwellings either to explore other parts of the sub-continent or to move back to England.