Legend
Further information: Dakshayani Further information: NainitalThere are two legends of the creation of Nainital Lake.
The first legend is recorded in the chapter ‘manas khand’ of the ‘Skanda Purana’ in which it states that the Nainital Lake was known as ‘Tri-Rishi-Sarovar’, meaning the lake of the three sages. The three sages Atri, Pulastya and Pulaha, (three of the Saptarshis), seven great sages-of the first Manvantara, the Hindu progenitor of mankind) while on their repentant pilgrimage chanced to be in Naintal, and not finding water to drink, burrowed into the ground at the present day location of the lake and did tapas (meditation) there, which it is believed resulted in filling up of the burrowed hole with subterranean water drawn from the sacred Mansarovar Lake in Tibet. Hence, the folk lore belief is that a dip in this lake is meritorious.
The second legend pertains to Nainital, which is one of the 64 'Shakti Peethas' (holy places of cosmic power) in India. The story goes that when Lord Shiva in his grief on the death of his consort sati's or Dākshāyani (a Hindu goddess of marital felicity and longevity who was the first wife of Shiva) carried her half charred dead body all over the earth, the left eye fell at Nainital and thus emerged the compound name Nainital (a word formed by naina and tal meaning 'eye' and 'lake' respectively), the sanctified home of the Goddess Naina Devi. It is claimed that the lake is also in emerald eye shape. As a Shkathisthal, the temple of Naina Devi is located at the northern end of the lake.
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