Nainital
Nainital (29 24' N, 79 28' E) is a town in the state of Uttaranchal and headquarters of Nainital District in the Kumaon foothills of the outer Himalaya. The area mountains are strikingly beautiful, of which the highest are Naina (also Cheena) (2615 m, or 8,568 ft) on the north, Deopatha (2438 m, or 7,987 ft) on the west, and Ayarpatha (2278 m, or 7,461 ft) on the south.
Nainital is situated at an altitude of 1938 m (6,350 ft) above sea-level, Nainital is set in a valley containing a pear-shaped lake, approximately 2 miles in circumference, and surrounded by mountains.
Balrampur House in Nainital was the summer Palace of the Royal Family of Balrampur since the 1880's. It was known as Ivy Park Palace till 1932 when the old single story palace was demolished to recreate a modern structure by the famous European Architect, Monsieur Mortimere in the style of a French Chateaux.
Every year the Maharaja of Balrampur would move to Nainital in the Kumaoun hills with his officials and entourage to escape the blistering heat of the plains and govern his Estate from the cool climate of the hill station, returning to Balrampur with the onset of monsoon rains.
Balrampur House, second only to the Government House with its sprawling gardens landscaped by manually chiselling out the hillside to create perfect flat lands, towered by Cheena Peak as a back drop is amongst the most beautiful and imposing properties in Nainital. The present Maharaja converted the Palace into a Heritage Hotel in 1995.
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