Nainital is an amazing destination to explore in Uttarakhand. It is also known an city of lakes, the most famous lake being the Nainital lake, locally known as Naini jheel, which provides an enthralling experience to its visitors. Other notable lakes in and around this beautiful Hill-Stations are Bhimtal, Sattal and Naukuchiyatal. In this post I will share our memorable Shikara ride, which was truly a mesmerizing experience we had before the end of this year 2016. The most famous place for Shikara ride is in Dal Lake in Kashmir, but then again, having it in Nainital is completely a different experience.

Shikara ride in Nainital lake

Shikara ride in Nainital lake

It was the second day of our trip to Nainital, a beautiful hill-station in North India. We  spent the entire day in local sight seeing, which included Eco-Cave garden, Nursery, Lover’s point/ Suicide point etc and we were tired like hell. We decided to take a break for refreshment near Mall road. Our Cab driver suggested us to visit Tibetan market for shopping and Naina Devi temple, which is one of the divine destinations in the city. We took a walk on the Mall road, which is situated right beside the famous Nainital Lake. The cool breeze from the lake relaxed our body and mind after the tiring day. As it was late November and winter already made its way, we were a bit scared on the thought of Niti falling ill. We decided to spend some time inside the temple rather than shopping. Checkout some of our shots inside Naina Devi temple.

Naina Devi temple is located just beside the famous Nainital lake. The serene sound of temple’s bell and sight of innocent boatmen riding Shikara is an amazing experience. We were unable to resist our tempt to give Shikara ride in Nainital lake, a try. The boat ride is fixed at 200 INR ($3 approx) for 20 minutes. We hired a Shikara and our memorable 20 minutes begun. The boatmen always have some of the unusual story about Nainital with them, they also give you some of the essential Nainital trip tips. Having the Shikara ride will give you 360 degree view of Nainital city and you can see all the important landmarks like Nainital Zoo, China peak (Naini peak), Mall road, Cricket ground, Tibetan market etc. The gigantic china peak stood right in front of us, when we were in the center of Nainital lake. The sound which the water made while rowing and chirping of birds along with the ritual bell of the temple composed an unusual music together. One can easily regain his spirit and enthusiasm of life, if he can understand this beautiful music of nature. Check this short 24 seconds video to experience it.

The shape of Nainital lake appears like a mango and the mall road encircle’s it making it a prime attraction of the city. You may hire a Shikara, near Naina devi temple. Many boatmen will approach you on Mall road for taking a ride. So it won’t be a problem for finding a Shikara rider. You may also opt for peddle boating, if you want to have some fun with friends, but if you want to retire in the lap of nature, you should give Shikara ride in Nainital lake a try.


saurabh

Saurabh is a traveller and writer. He loves to share his daily travel experience. He also comments on Bollywood and Reality TV Shows.

6 Comments

Joanna · December 12, 2016 at 2:37 pm

It looks like you had a very relaxing boat ride after a full day of visiting. The ride seems very cheap at only 200 rupees and the views look really nice. Sometimes all you need is a few moments to just enjoy and do nothing.

Carmy · December 11, 2016 at 11:30 pm

Lovely boat ride! $3 for 20 minutes is a pretty good price! Does it matter if you have more than one person with you or is it 3 per person??

Joic · December 7, 2016 at 9:50 pm

nice

sophie · December 7, 2016 at 7:28 pm

This lake looks beautiful , after reading your post and photos I just browsed for more photos on Google and saw that atmosphere at this lake is always beautiful , I can definitely put this in my list when I come to India Next year. I am definitely going to visit this lake. Thanks for this lovely post, was very helpful for me! Cheers.

ROSHNI RAY · December 7, 2016 at 4:26 pm

Lovely post 🙂 Even I am from Kolkata and have been thinking about visiting Nainital, Shimla and all the nearby places. Hopefully will plan something soon 🙂

Christine K · December 7, 2016 at 1:44 pm

Such a lovely post. Enjoyed reading about your experience and hearing about an area I am not familiar with. Loved the photos and the delightful narrative.

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