Bhimtal

The Beauty of the Lake District

At any point in time, hill stations have never ceased to be my prime choice
for a holiday destination.
Among the most memorable includes Bhimtal, a scenic quaint hill-station
situated 22km from Nainital district in Uttaranchal. Owing to the variety of
popular and enchanting lakes like Nainital, Bhimtal, Sar Tal, Panna Tal and Naukuchiyatal, this Lake District was named as "Westmorland of India" by the British.
We planned our visit during the first week of October as autumn seems to be
the best time to visit Bhimtal since the temperatures are fairly pleasant
across both the hemispheres, unless you are looking for some extreme
climatic entertainment.
A 9-hour journey of approx, 280 kms by road, takes you to Bhimtal from
Delhi, with the necessary breaks in between. It’s preferable to take a night
bus, although for nature lovers, the exquisite landscape all the way up to the
town should not be missed. Hence a train journey is recommended. Ranikhet
Express from the Old Delhi Railway Station to the nearest railhead of
Kathgodam and a bus or taxi ride of 21 kms beyond that is advisable.
However, we thought that driving up all the way will perhaps have its own
charm, and hence we decided to take the bus ride.
Mountain mist, feeble sun filtering through sleeping deodars, an exhilarating
calm spreading up to the ranges beyond, hill birds twittering over blooming
marigolds- can any morning be more magical?
Waking up in Bhimtal makes you forget that just a few hours ago you were in
the midst of the Delhi heat. And with just half a day separating the noisy plains with these heavenly hills, the transformation was all too sudden and
too real to be true! However, the mesmerizing view of the sunrise was such a contrast from the one seen from the plains that our cameras never stopped clicking.
Bhimtal is the largest lake in this area and is named after Bhim, one of the
Pandava Brothers, in Mahabharat. The Tal or Lake is 1701m by 265m and is 265m longer than the Naini Lake. This is at a sublime height of 1371.6m above sea level. There is an island towards the north-eastern side of the lake about 91.4m from the shore, which is an exquisite gem in the water. This is
situated within the range of the temple bells, which have been chiming away for the last 300 years in a 17th Century edifice, beneath the shadow of the towering mountains rushing precipitously down to the emerald green lake.
Unlike its older cousin Nainital, this quiet hamlet has not been touched by
much commercialisation so far. Hence the quiet solitude is heart warming.
Depending upon your budget you can either stay at the couple of resorts that
the town has to offer. Or there are cheaper and economical hotels for the
regular backpacker, providing the basic amenities. Moreover, the Kumao
Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) and the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN)
offer many tourist lodges and rest houses throughout the area.
After sleeping off for almost the entire day, we were ready with our light
woolens and sneakers to explore the town on foot, couple of hours prior to
dusk. A day and a half is more than what you need to know Bhimtal. A
plethora of regular stone and wood houses and huts filled with smiling locals
dotted the area, as well as the nearby surrounding hills. The splendid view of
the mountain ranges and the hill stations beyond, from all sides of the town,
tells you why Bhimtal is really far from the maddening crowd. Don’t forget to
explore the local market place for a variety of cheap woolies, carved wooden
handicrafts, candles and some homemade jams and marmalade.
Night brought another wonderful spectacle. The glimmering lights of the
overlooking hills, spreading out like a starry sky, adding to the beauty of the
black canopy above was quite overwhelming. Sorry, I missed mentioning the
breathtaking sunset at the lake. When the flame orange ball went down the
far horizon, drowning in the water, which was painted in a similar hue, we
couldn’t help taking our hats off to the heavenly artist, who paints this
fabulously different canvas everyday.
Mesmerized by all this and more brilliant sights we returned to our hotel, only to catch similar views all around us, from the lawns. No one was willing to leave this scenic spot and we continued to sit amidst the falling due, through dinner and well beyond midnight. Songs, childhood stories and jokes kept us entertained along with crickets’ monotonous buzz as our steady
background music.
Since we were to set off for the next part of our journey after lunch the
following day, the energetic few were early to rise for a quick walk around
the remaining part of the town. Boat rides at this time offer pleasurable
enchantment and the lovely forest walks offer interesting birdlife and some
amazing butterflies. So, don’t forget those binoculars.
It was heart breaking when our buses set off in the afternoon. The weather
had suddenly changed and it began to drizzle. There was a slight nip in the
air, the overcast sky somewhat matching our emotions. It would be difficult to
erase these brilliant memories from our thoughts and I would most certainly
return very soon for fresh stocks.