Bhimtal

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.

Bhimtal
Town
View of Bhimtal in Nainital district, Uttarakhand, India
Bhimtal Location in Uttarakhand, India Show map of Uttarakhand Bhimtal Bhimtal (India) Show map of India
Coordinates: 29.35°N 79.5667°E / 29.35; 79.5667
Country	India
State	Uttarakhand
District	Nainital
Elevation	1,370 m (4,490 ft)
Population  (2011)
• Total	7,722
Languages
• Official	Hindi, Kumaoni
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
Area code	05942
Vehicle registration	UK-04

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

Kumaon campus of Graphic Era Hill University

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^[update] 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.

The dam by the Bhimtal Lake and the Bhim temple at Bhimtal, 1895

See also

• Bhimtal Lake
• Pannatal Lake