Nanital

Nainital (Kumaoni: Naintāl or Nainītālā; pronounced [nɛnːtaːl]) is a city and popular hill station in Nainital district of Uttarakhand, India. It is the Headquater of Nainital district. It is the judicial capital of Uttarakhand, the High Court of the state being located there and is the headquarters of the Kumaon division as well as an eponymous district. It also houses the Governor of Uttarakhand,[4] who resides in the Raj Bhavan. Nainital was the summer capital[5] of the United Provinces. Nainital is located in the Kumaon foothills of the outer Himalayas at a distance of 285 km (177 mi) from the state capital Dehradun and 345 km (214 mi) from New Delhi, the capital of India. Situated at an altitude of 1,938 metres (6,358 ft) above sea level, the city is set in a valley containing an eye-shaped lake, approximately two miles in circumference, and surrounded by mountains, of which the highest are Naina Peak (2,615 m (8,579 ft)) on the north, Deopatha (2,438 m (7,999 ft)) on the west, and Ayarpatha (2,278 m (7,474 ft)) on the south. From the tops of the higher peaks, "magnificent views can be obtained of the vast plain to the south, or of the mass of tangled ridges lying north, bound by the great snowy range which forms the central axis of the Himalayas."[6] The hill station attracts tourists round the year.

Rishikesh

Rishikesh, also spelt as Hrishikesh, is a city governed by Rishikesh Municipal Corporation (since October 2017),^[1] and a tehsil in Dehradun district of the Indian state Uttarakhand. Located in the foothills of the Himalayas in northern India, it is known as the "Gateway to the Garhwal Himalayas" and "Yoga Capital of the World".^[2][3][4] It lies 21 km (13 mi) north of the city Haridwar and 45 km (28 mi) southeast of the state capital Dehradun. As of 2021, Rishikesh tehsil has a total population of 322,825; this figure includes 93 surrounding villages as well as the city.^[5] It is the seventh most populated city in the state of Uttarakhand. It is known as the pilgrimage town and regarded as one of the holiest places for Hindus.^[3] Hindu sages and saints have visited Rishikesh since ancient times to meditate in search of higher knowledge.^[6]

In September 2015, the Union tourism minister Mahesh Sharma announced that Rishikesh and Haridwar will be the first in India to be given the title of "twin national heritage cities".^[7] Due to the religious significance of the place, non-vegetarian food and alcohol are strictly prohibited in Rishikesh.^[8] The city has hosted the annual International Yoga Festival on the first week of March since 1989