Bhimtal, Uttarakhand

Bhimtal is mostly preferred by travelers from Delhi, Lucknow. The go to destination for types of travelers, be it family, kids and couples, Bhimtal is, however, mostly preferred by Couple, Family. The best season or months to visit places in Bhimtal are March, April, May, September, October, November, December. There are 8 tourist places in Bhimtal, which can be explored by travelers. Local attractions can be visited at any time of the day, be it early morning, afternoon, evening or night, as suitable for travelers. Sightseeing in Bhimtal can be done by travelers, which will take half a day or one day, but to see all sightseeing places, travelers need to stay in Bhimtal for 2 days to 3 days.

Places to visit in Bhimtal

Bhimtal Lake And Other Attractions

Bhimtal is famous for its Bhimtal Lake, which is bigger than Naini Lake and offers good boating facilities. Plus, there is an island in the middle with an aquarium located on it. The island is only 91 metres from the lake shore and there is also a Bhimeshwar Temple along with a 40 feet high dam beside the lake that belongs to the 17th century.

Bhimtal supports a wide variety of aquatic life and some Trans Himalayan birds during the winter.  Lying at an altitude of 4500 ft, 22 km from Nainital, the lake is surrounded by the Kumaon hills all around. It received its name from Bhima, one of the Pandavas from the epic of Mahabharata.

Geologists believe that the lake was formed by the chain of faults caused by the movements in the earth’s crust. According to geologists, the blockade of surface drainage water led to the formation of Bhimtal Lake. The area around the lake supports a wide variety of animal species like black eagle, wall creeper, tawny fish owl, bulbul and emerald dove.

Victoria Dam

Victoria dam is located at one end of Bhimtal Lake and has terraced flower gardens that are placed on either side of the dam. There is also the 17th century Bhimeshwar Temple devoted to Shiva, located very next to it.

Tourists can take a walk through the huge forests that surround the lake. The dam is 40 feet high and offers sights of nature that is very rare in other parts of the country. The gorge is decorated with wild flowers that give it a beautiful look, which attracts good number of tourists every year to this place.

Aquarium on the Island on Bhimtal

Bhimtal Lake has an island located within it, which once had a restaurant. However, the restaurant was closed down due to pollution issues and an aquarium was created in its place by the Nainital Lake Development Authority. The aquarium is now home to fish brought from countries like China, South Africa and Mexico.

Bhimeshwara Mahadev Temple

Bhimtal is named after Bhima, one of the Pandava brothers of Mahabharata. Bhimeshwara Mahadev Temple is an old Shiva temple, located on the embankment of Bhimtal Lake. It is believed that a temple was already there during the time of Bhima, when he had come to this place during the exile period of the Pandavas.

However, the present temple was built by Baz Bahadur - a king of the Chand Dynasty along with the Raja of Kumaon. The 17th century temple is located by the 40 feet high Victoria dam. 

Hanuman Garhi

Hanuman Garhi or Hanumangarhi is located some 3.5 km from the Tallital or South End bus stop, at an altitude of 6,401 ft. Lord Hanuman – the monkey god of the epic Ramayana is the main deity of the temple. The place also offers some good views of the setting sun over the Himalayas. The statue of Hanuman located here is about 4 m high.

Folk Culture Museum

The Folk Culture Museum, popularly known as Lok Sanskriti Sangrahalaya, houses a good collection of information and artefacts about the hilly regions of Uttar Pradesh. The collection of artefacts includes important information on various topics like stone implements, traditional rites, rituals and archaeologically important items. It also has an impressive collection of photographs and reproductions of rock art.

Hidimba Parvat

Hidimba Parvat of Hidimba Hill is located some 5 km from Bhimtal and is named after the demon wife of Bheema – Hidimba of the Mahabharata. Vankhandi Maharaj, an environmentalist and monk lives there and he has developed a refuge for wild animals. The wildlife asylum is known as Vankhandi Ashram.

Karkotaka Temple

The hill of Karkotaka is quite well known for the Nag Temple and is visited by thousands of pilgrims who come here to worship the serpent god, Nag Karkotaka Maharaja on the event of Rishi Panchami. Karkotaka hill is named after a mythical cobra named Karkotaka. It is believed that the temple with the serpent god protects the villagers from snake bites.

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About PRABISH BISHUNGKHE

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