Bhimtal

Bhimtal
View of Bhimtal in Nainital district, Uttarakhand, India
Bhimtal
Location in Uttarakhand, India
Bhimtal
Bhimtal (India)
Coordinates: 29°21′00″N 79°34′00″E / 29.35°N 79.5667°E / 29.35; 79.5667
Country India
StateUttarakhand
DistrictNainital
Elevation
1,370 m (4,490 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total
7,722
Languages
 • OfficialHindi, Kumaoni
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
Area code05942
Vehicle registrationUK-04

Bhimtal (Kumaoni: Bhīmtāl) is a town and a nagar palika, near Nainital city in Nainital district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is situated at an altitude of 1370 meters above sea level and is about 22 kilometers from Nainital. The city is near Bhimtal Lake.

Climate

The climate of Bhimtal is pleasant and salubrious during summers but very cold during winters. Summer temperatures range from 15 °C to 29 °C, while winter temperatures range from 4 °C to 18 °C.

History

Bhimtal is an ancient place named after Bhima of Mahabharata. Bhimeshwara Mahadev Temple, an old Shiva temple on the bank of Bhimtal lake, is believed to have been built when Bhima visited the place during the banishment (vanvas) period of Pandavas. The present temple was built in the 17th century, by Baz Bahadur (1638–78 AD), a King of the Chand dynasty, and the Raja of Kumaon.[1]Archived 2008-06-18 at the Wayback Machine British Library.6).

Bhimtal is older than nearby Nainital as the city of Nainital is just 150–160 years old. Bhimtal was a stoppage on an old pedestrian road, which connects nearby Kathgodam to all Kumaon region cities and Nepal and Tibet.

Institutions

The government constructed the Vikas Bhawan building in Bhimtal and most of the District Administration offices of Nainital District are located in the complex.

There are many government and private institutions in Bhimtal, including Tasar Regional Research Center (Ministry of Textile, Govt. of India), National Cold Water Fisheries Institute, Jan Sikshan Sansthan, and Birla Institute of Applied Sciences.

Demographics

As of 2011 India census,[2] Bhimtal had a population of 7722, a 31.46% increase in population compared to 2001. Sex ratio is 885. Bhimtal has an average literacy rate of 93.67%, higher than the national average of 74.04%; with male literacy of 95.28% and female literacy of 91.79%. 11% of the population is under 6 years of age. The major first language is Kumaoni.

See also

References

  1. ^ http://www.collectbritain.co.uk/personalisation/object.cfm?uid=019PHO000000883U00007000 Bhimtal Temple
  2. ^ "Census of India 2011: Data from the 2011 Census, including cities, villages and towns". Census Commission of India.