MeraPahad Community Of Uttarakhand Lovers

नैनीताल में मनाये जाने वाले "नन्दा-सुनन्दा" महोत्सव की जानकारी के लिये निम्न लिंक देखें..
 
http://www.merapahadforum.com/religious-places-of-uttarakhand/nainital's-historic-nanda-sunanda-festival


नैनीताल "64 शक्ति पीठों" में से एक है।. यह मानना है कि माँ सती की बाँयी आँख (नयन) यहां पर गिरी थी, जिससे नैनीताल शहर का उदगम हुआ। यह भी कहा जाता है कि नैनी झील आँख के आकार में हैं। इस प्रकार  नैना और ताल से मिल कर नैनीताल नाम बना।
 

Nainital in Mythology -  पौराणिक सम्बन्ध

It is believed that Nainital figures in some ancient myths of India. In the Manas Khand of the Skand Puranas, Nainital Lake is called Tri-Rishi-Sarovar, hinting at the story of three sages (or rishis), Atri, Pulastya and Pulaha, who, upon finding no water in Nainital, dig a large hole at the location of the present day lake (sarovar = lake) and fill it with water from the holy lake Manasarovar in Tibet. According to lore, a dip in Naini Lake, "the lesser Manasarovar," earns merit equal to a dip in the great lake.

It is also believed that Naini Lake is one of the 64 Shakti Peeths, or religious sites where parts of the charred body of Sati (Parvati) fell on earth while being carried by Lord Shiva. The spot where Sati's eyes (or Nain) fell, came to be called Nain-tal or [lake of the eye.] The goddess Shakti is worshipped at the Naina Devi Temple on the north shore of the present day lake.

The Schools
 
Naini Tal, landslip in 1880In the latter half of the 19th century a number of "European" schools for boys and girls were founded in Nainital. During the Victorian and Edwardian eras, students in these schools consisted largely of children of British colonial officials or soldiers. In 1906, for example, there were over half a dozen such schools,[4] including the Diocesan Boys' School (later renamed Sherwood College) under the guidance of the Church of England; Philander Smith's College, maintained by an American; St. Joseph's College a Roman Catholic institution, Wellesley School an American institution; St. Mary's Convent High School, a Roman Catholic institution; All Saints Diocesan High School for Girls, under the Church of England, and Petersfield College for Girls.

In the 1920s and 30s, the schools began to admit more Indian students. This trend continued until independence, by which time the student bodies had become predominantly Indian, albeit in many cases greatly reduced in size. Later around 1983 another school called SAPS came up as a neighbour to Sherwoold college. SAPS which later came to be known as Amtuls achieved a remarkable place in the hierarchy of already well known schools of Nainital.

Transition

By the 1880s, a mere 40 years after its founding, Nainital had become something of an exclusive English preserve, with the Indian presence in the town confined largely to a behind-the-scenes labour and service industry, or to the occasional prince. This state of affairs lasted for much of the Victorian era. The first signs of change came early in the 20th century, when Indian bureaucrats and professionals began arriving in town as part of the annual migration of the state government of the United Provinces to Nainital every summer. The next big change came in 1925, when British civil servants began to receive subsidies for taking their annual vacations in England,[5] and, consequently, many stopped going to the hill stations in the summers. From then on until 1947 (excepting the war years), the British presence in Nainital (measured, for example, by home ownership) continued to decline and was gradually replaced by a burgeoning Indian presence.



Source... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nainital

Sherwood College (Nainital)

Sherwood College established 1869, is a boarding school, established by the British in India to educate British boys and the Indian elite during the Raj. Today it is co-educational boarding school, with a smattering of girls to even things out.

It is located on Ayarpatta Hill in Nainital, Uttarakhand, nestled between the hills bordering the reserve forest and the Governor's golf links.

One of India's leading public schools, it offers an all-round education to children of wealthy parents who choose to send their children to boarding school. Quite often the parents are Old Sherwoodians themselves.

The school follows the ICSE system, and the school year runs from early March to early December with a 3 week summer break in June after Founders' Week (30th May-5th June).

At Sherwood, emphasis has always been placed on an all-round education, which means that apart from academics, it is mandatory for all students to participate in sports and extra-curricular cultural activities, such as theatre, music (both Indian and Western), fine arts, elocution, debating, and bi-annual group excursions out of town, etc.

Sherwood has long been known for the high quality of its football and cricket teams. The school is equipped with tennis, basketball, squash, and indoor badminton courts, as well as a swimming pool (dug by the students themselves in 1954!) and a large playground that doubles as sports field and venue for the annual school fête - much looked forward to by all!

The chapel (dedicated to Saint Barnabas) is situated on the front 'quad' or quadrangle, which faces an extraordinary panorama of the Kumaon hills descending into the Terai (the plains).


The School Song:

O Sherwood fair to thee we sing/ Our song of ardent praise/ May all the hills with echoes ring/ Until the end of days /

May Sherwood’s spirit stronger grow/ With each day’s rising sun/ May Sherwood’s flag victorious flow/ When each day’s battle’s done/

The days we spent within thy walls/ Our hearts with memories fill / And when we’re gone where duty calls / Those thoughts will linger still/

O Happy days of sterling worth/ May we thy greatness see/ The greatest days we have on earth/ O Sherwood are with thee/

O Evening star from out the deep/ Shine down upon us here/ Watch oe’r us while in peace se sleep/ Let Sherwood without fear/

And when the morning light breaks forth/ Ye sons of Sherwood rise/ And strive that Sherwood’s name and worth/ May mount unto the skies!

The School Colours

Sherwood was named after the Sherwood Rangers and the school flag borrowed from their colours - bottle green, maroon and silver. The houses are Allen-a-Dale or AD (Red) , Robin Hood RH(Green), Friar Tuck FT(Blue) and Little John LJ (Yellow), named after Robin Hood and his Merry Men.

Famous Alumni

Amitabh Bachchan, Kabir Bedi, movie star Vikram Chopra, Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, General V. N. Sharma, Major Somnath Sharma PVC (India's first Param Vir Chakra recipient), Virendra Dayal, Wing Commander Rohit Kumar Singh (Distinguished IAF Officer), Dalip Tahil, Jim Corbett, Marcus Murch, Col. Anshu Trivedi (Kargil Hero, C.O. 18'th Garhwal Rifles), Sir Kul Rattan Chadha ([1])

Website... http://www.sherwood.edu.in/