Nainital, Kausani Bonanza..!!! Jan 23rd09-Jan26th

What a great time we had ...one day in Nainital and 2 days in Kausani...!!..Thought it would be really chilling there, it being mountains and all...however found it was quite pleasant and warm..nights were cold, mornings chilly...on thw whole it was lovely weather..

Nainital is a glittering jewel in the Himalyan necklace, blessed with scenic natural spledour and varied natural resources . Dotted with lakes , Nainital has earned the epithet of 'Lake District' of India . The most prominent of the lakes is Naini lake ringed by hills . Nainital has a varied topography . Some of the important places in the district are Nainital , Haldwani , Kaladhungi , Ramnagar , Bhowali , Ramgarh , Mukteshwar , Bhimtal , Sattal and Naukuchiatal . Nainital’s unending expense of scenic beauty is nothing short of a romance with awe-inspiring and pristine Mother nature.

The nucleus of Nainital’s exquisite beauty is beautiful lake .In the day ,mirrored in its waters stand seven proud hills,dotted with pretty cottages and villas . This reflection alone holds one spell bound. More beautiful than this however is the lake at night when the myriads of bulbs from the hill sides and quite a large number hanging near the lake’s edge stab their magic light into its waters.The lake offers the holiday makers ample opportunity for yachting, boating or paddling the boat. Rowing as well as paddling boats are available at both ends of lake.The north end of lake is called Mallital while the southern one is called Tallital which have a bridge (Danth popularly named) having Gandhiji's statue and post office on its sides .It is the only Post Office on the lake bridge in whole of the world.There is Bus Station , Taxi stand and Railway reservation counter on the same lake bridge , both ends have well laid out shopping centres,with beautifully laid of marts ,stores and luxury shops.

We stayed at the Hotel SnowView Heritage, a KVMN rest house. Snow View : Situated at 2270 meters this popular vantage point is accessible by rope way. It offers an excellent view of the northern Himalayan ranges. The hotel was previously a British Governor's house and it seemed like a palacial room when we tried to sleep on the wooden poster bed..!! The room had an adjoining dining room and a high wooden roof..Beautifully decorated with traditional kumaon paintaings..the room was worth all the price..The Bathroom, which is the most important for Pankaj was also very big, and had all the modern amenities.

Nainital is famous for its candles, woolens, woodcrafts and handicrafts. We bought 1 candle in the shape of a cat..! We also did boating in the beautiful Naini Lake, pictures with Meher are there for all to see and enjoy, Betu just loved to touch the chilling cold water of the lake..!!

On the way from Nanital to Kausani we found a small water fall easily accessible from road, so could to resist going in...CCold water, lovely view..!!

Kausani...small and serene, quiet and peaceful.....Kausani is located in the picturesque Kumaon hills of Uttarakhand. Situated at 6,075 ft above sea level, this small and peaceful hill-station is known for its unspoilt natural beauty and 300 km-wide views of the Himalayan snow-peaks. Very few places in the Himalayas offer such vistas as Kausani. The place also holds importance because Mahatma Gandhi stayed here.
We visited the wool and shawl making factory, bought some honey there...The procedure to make wool takes time and effort, it is a long process to actually make a shawl..!!

Mahatma Gandhi called this place the 'Switzerland of India', due to similarity in landscape. We went to Baijnath from there..it was a 45 min drive around 18 kms from Kausani...The temples there are very beautiful and look majestic against the blue skyline..!! .
The temple holds significance because, according to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva and Parvati were married at the confluence of River Gomati and Garur Ganga. The main temple that houses a beautiful idol of Parvati is chiseled in black stone. The temple is approached from the riverside by a flight of steps made of stones. The pond has fishes and we threw some food for the fishes in the water.
There were both small and big fish there. Meher had an interesting time there...you could see the glow on his face when he saw the fish jump up to catch the food thrown in the water!!!

The most fantastic experience was the stone called..'Bhimshila' which weighed around 90 kgs and could only be picked up by 9 MEN holding the stone with only 1 finger each and CHANTING 'no, no,no' to a height till their waists...it was truly astonishing to see that...Pankaj tried it along with 8 other people..and was successful in picking up the heavy stone...!!!!

The hill resort of Kausani offers several vantage points from where we enjoyed the views of Himalayan peaks such as Trishul, Nanda Devi and Nandakot. The view was scintillating right from the balcony of our room, the entire wall had windows so we could relax in bed and get the view of the lovely mountains and peaks...all at the same time..!!
The hills around Kausani are covered with pine and oak trees and the area is dotted with apple, peach and pear orchards, inspired us to go for long walks.
The major attraction at Kausani is that is offers wondrous vistas of the Kumaon Himalayas. We enjoyed the endless stretch of famous peaks like the Nanda Devi, Trishul, and the Nandakot from the resort itself and from other high points in the valley.

While in Kausani , at the KVMN Resort, we tried to capture the spectacular sights of the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas that are spread majestically across the 300 km range. The sunrise and the sunset are the special moments for the nature lovers and the photographers alike.
We also passed Khairna while driving, :22kms. from Ranikhet on the Nanital route, it is famous for fishing.
On our way back on the 26th monday morning we took the Ranikhet-Kaladhungi route. A quaint little hill station conceived by the British tucked away in the Kumaon (uttaranchal India) Himalayas. An old army cantonment from British time. Charmingly unspoilt natural beauty…. Screen and quiet. This wasRanikhet. The valley views were absolutely lovely and looked like 'specially' made by God to enhance natural beauty..!!!!! 70 Km distance from Ranikhet to Kausani is Drivers Delight. Road condition is really good.

We were driving along gentle slopes and pine covered hillsides, leading to picnic spots in shady glens or to sheer cliffs with breath taking views of the snow covered Himalayas, offering various moods and colours, from the misty morning sun to pink, gold and cobalt blue in all their majestic glory. We passed Ranikhet, but did not stop there for long.

Another beautiful place we passed was 'Binta'. In all its glory of valleys and mountains Binta is a small place , there were lovely 'sarson ke khet' found there, amidst a stream of cold water which ran through the farms. It was nature at its VERY BEST..!!