Gods and Goddesses of Nainital

A View of the little Naini Mata Temple on the banks of the Naini Lake   O ne thing that has surprised International spiritual philosophers about Hindu practices and beliefs is that while on the one hand it has one of the most ancient and evolved systems of philosophy, on the other hand, it also displays very many poor practices. The answer lies in the fact that Hinduism has never been as organized as some of the other major religions of the world. It permits much freedom of belief and practices. It has a vast landscape of varied cultures into which many immigrants of the old world came and settled with varied customs and beliefs. What is seen as Hinduism now is a collections of beliefs and practices since ancient times, some highly evolved and some not so. Individual Hindus choose the portion of these beliefs that is in agreement with their own faith and inclinations, no doubt influenced by the beliefs and practices of the families and regions to which they belong.

Boating in a boat with or without sails is an exhilrating experience in the Nainital Lake. The image here is an edited version of an image shared on facebook by https://www.facebook.com/Nainital

The Babaji Affair A new revised edition of my book the - The Babaji Affair -  has been released recently. The book is available in both print and electronic versions at various Amazon outlets around the world. it is also available with most other online retailers. Just search on nearest you on Google. If you are interested in the Nainital District, Babaji, and the spirituality of the region interpreted form a modern global viewpoint and have not read the book yet, do acquire a copy soon. The message of the book is bound to improve your life dramatically towards greater, peace, joy and beauty. The image above is an unfolded designers proof image of the cover. The design of the Neeltal Hotel in the book- The Babaji Affair - was based on the Neuschwanstein Castle

Naini Mata the Mother Goddess A fresh revised edition of the book - Naini Mata Goddess of Nainital has been released recently. it describes not just about the Mother Goddess as worshipped and loved in Nainital but elsewhere around the world too. The book is available at Amazon.com at : http://www.amazon.com/Naini-Mata-Nainital-Ashok-Malhotra/dp/1461159229 The book also is available at Amazon and other outlets all around the world including India in both print and electronic versions. Just search for it on google if you are interested. The new revised edition is much better presented than the earlier one. It describes the history of worship of the Mother Goddess since ancient times as well as explains it from a modern scientific point of view. Naini Mata is how she is addressed as in Naintal town. Higher up in the mountains, she is known with her sister as the goddesses Nanda and Sunanda. Those from Haidakhan call her Haidkandeshwari, others in Tibet as Tara.. She is Ma Du

Countryside around Nainital Lake The Nainital Lake is so captivating that most photos end up taking pictures of the lake from close and miss to photograph the countryside around it that is just as pretty. here is one picture.

Samosas I t is quite a tradition in India to have a deep fried snack of Samoasa or Pakoras on a rainy day in India and round the year in Nainital. You would find many samosa stalls in the foothill town of Khatgodam/Haldwani and several roadside pakora shops on the journey to Nainital. Do not miss the treat whenever you visit Nainital. Once in Nainital you may wish to try roasted corn on the cob or mo-mos by the lakeside that are widely available in tourist season. The monsoon rains had been interrupted for a few days here in the plains but they came back with force today and as luck would have it a neighborhood shop was just frying some nice hot samosas that I procured. Samosas are found all over India. They usually contain a stuffing of spicy potatoes and peas in crisp deep fried pastry shell. Each shop keeper or snack stall has its own recipe and with experience one finds the seller that suits one’s taste. For those who like meat or chicken, the stuffing can be precook