St. John in the Wilderness Church

St. John in the Wilderness Church is an Anglican church and one of Nainital's oldest buildings, constructed in the 1840s during British colonial rule. Located in the Mallital area near the Uttarakhand High Court, this Neo-Gothic structure was inaugurated on 2 April 1848 after Bishop Daniel Wilson approved the site in 1844. The church stands amidst deodar trees and features a historic burial ground with graves dating from 1845 to 1922.

Visitors can explore a well-preserved 19th-century Gothic church building surrounded by deodar trees in a tranquil hillside setting. The church features Neo-Gothic architecture with stained-glass windows and contains a memorial commemorating victims of the 1880 Nainital landslide. The adjacent burial ground includes historical graves, including those of Jim Corbett's parents. The atmosphere is serene and offers a peaceful retreat from the bustling town center.

The site was chosen and approved in 1844 by Bishop Daniel Wilson. The cornerstone was laid in October 1846, and Captain Young, an executive engineer, designed the church at a cost of Rs 15,000 raised from private subscriptions and pew rents. Built in Gothic style, it was inaugurated on 2 April 1848. A memorial inside commemorates those killed in the 1880 Nainital landslide. The burial ground contains graves from 1845 to around 1922, including those of Christopher William Corbett and Mary Jane Corbett, parents of famous hunter and conservationist Jim Corbett.

The church is part of the Church of North India and represents one of the earliest colonial-era religious structures in Nainital. It served as a place of worship for British colonial officers and their families during the Raj period when Nainital was a favored hill station retreat.