Nainital Kumaoni Craft Fruit Tourism Himalaya Uttarakhand Heritage

Nainital district in Kumaon Uttarakhand is centred on Naini Lake — a glacial lake at 2,084m surrounded by the Kumaon Himalayan town that was the summer capital of the United Provinces under British rule. Kumaoni women weave aipan (ritual floor drawings using rice paste and red oxide) and produce ringal (thin bamboo) baskets and mats — heritage crafts now marketed to eco-tourists. Nainital's orchards produce peaches, plums, and pears for jam and juice industries in Bhowali, and the district's Mukteshwar apple orchards supply premium fruit to Delhi. The Corbett Tiger Reserve (Jim Corbett National Park) adjacent to Nainital is India's oldest national park and the most visited tiger reserve.