State capital of: Uttarakhand

Main languages: Hindi

 

History:

 

The city of Dehradun is also known as Dehra Doon. The city has been named after Dera or Dehra which means camp while Doon is means a river valley between the smaller range of Shivaliks and the main Himalayas. This city had been founded in the early eighteenth century by 'Guru Ram Rai'. He was the eldest son of seventh Sikh Guru, Guru Har Rai who was the founder of the Udasi sect of Ascetics. It is said that this great Guru settled down in Dhamawala village. The annual 'Jhanda Fair' on the fifth day after Holi is still held in his memory.  There is a Gurudwara called 'Guru Ram Rai Darbar' built in 1699 marking the settlement of this city. It is said that this Gurudwara has been modelled on the tomb of Mughal Emperor Jehangir. The Skanda Purana, Dun refers to this area as 'Kedar Khand', the abode of Shiva. It is also believed that Drona, the great teacher of Kauravas and Pandavas lived here.

 

Geography:

 

The Doon valley is 230 km from the capital of India. The city is surrounded by the Himalayas in the north and the Shivalik Hills in the south. Both river Ganga and Yamuna pass through the city. The North West side of the area has fertile Gangetic plains. The main cities nearby are Roorkee, Mussoorie, Haridwar, Rishikesh, and Saharanpur.

 

Climate:

 

The city has a sub-tropical climate with cool winters and warm but crisp springs. The summers are hot and strong monsoons are experienced here. The temperature here does not fall below freezing point

 

Economy and education:

 

The main contributor of economy is agriculture. The famous "Dehradooni basmati rice" and Lychee are exported through out the world. It is also the home for some of the best service industries and institutions like Survey of India, Forest Research Institute, Rashtriya Indian Military College, Indian Military Academy (IMA) and The Doon School. The Osho institute is also located here. Other institutes here include Wildlife Institute of India, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Zoological Survey of India, National Institute for the Visually Handicapped, Indian Institute of Petroleum and many more. There are various Catholic missions located here too. Some of the finest institutes and hostels are located here. There are many new industries and small scale industries being set up here.

 

Culture and tourism:

 

The city of Dehradun is also known as the posh city. There are various tourist attractions here like the Clock-Tower or Ghanta-ghar which is the main shopping area. The Mindroling Monastery, in Clement Town, Budha Temple & Park, Maldevta

Malsi Deer Park, Dat Kali Mata Mandir, Sahastradhara, Tapkeshwar Shiv Temple,

Laxman Sidh Temple, Robber's Cave, etc are popular tourist attractions. The hill station of Mussoorie Landour is just 36 km away. There is aslo a 16 km trekking route from Dehradun to Mussoorie. 

 

Transportation:

 

The city is well connected through railways and road from cities like Delhi and there is also a domestic airport here.

 

 

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