Bhimtal is a town and a nagar panchayat, 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 major attraction in Bhimtal is the Bhimtal Lake, which has an island at its centre. Besides tourism, Bhimtal has also now become a mini district headquarters since most of the district administration offices have shifted to the newly constructed Vikas Bhawan, the building complex for district administrative offices.
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.
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. 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 onroute on the old pedestrian road, which connects nearby Kathgodam to all Kumaon region and even to Nepal and Tibet. It might have been the part of the famous ancient silk route.
