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'Dehradun' (Hindi: देहरादून) , also sometimes spelled 'Dehra Doon', is the capital city of the Uttarakhand state (earlier called ''Uttaranchal'') in India, and the headquarters of Dehradun District. It is located in the Doon valley, 230 kilometers north of India's capital New Delhi and the Delhi metropolitan area. Dehradun is well known for its reletively high standards of living (enjoying higher per capita income). The district is surrounded by the Himalayan mountains in the north, Shivalik Hills in the south, the river Ganga in the east, and the river Yamuna in the west. The water divide of Ganga and Yamuna passes through the city. It is also located on the northern side of the fertile Gangetic plains of India. Before the creation of Uttarakhand on November 9 2000, Dehradun was a part of Uttar Pradesh. Neighbouring cities and towns include Haridwar, Rishikesh, Roorkee, Mussoorie and Saharanpur. A popular item that has made Dehradun known across the world is "Dehradooni basmati rice". Within India Dehradun is also known for Lychee.

Contents

Origin of name

History

Early history and the connection to Vedic Period

Katyuris of Garhwal

Gorkhas and British Period

World War II

Sikh Pilgrimage

Demographics

Climate

Education

Culture

Economy

Tourism

Famous Residents

Photos

References

External links

Origin of name

Dera (or Dehra) is a camp, while Dun or Doon is a reference to a local term used for a river valley between a smaller range (Shivaliks) and the main Himalaya's. It is also believed that the ''Dehra'' reference to is Ram Rai's (Son of Guru Har Rai, the seventh Guru in Sikh History) Gurudwara.

History

Early history and the connection to Vedic Period

The earliest tangible evidence of the history of Dehradun dates back to 300 BC, as indicated by a rock inscription at Kalsi, discovered in 1860. This inscriptions located at the northern outskirts of the city are attributed to King Ashoka. In the inscription, there are 14 edicts carved on a rock and adjacent to these is the site where Raja Shilvarma of the Vrisheri dynasty made three horse sacrifices during his rule in the 3rd century BC. At the site, large inscribed bricks are arranged to form the shape of a bird with a fire altar in the middle.
It is also believed that in Vedic times, the Garhwal Mandal, of which Dehradun is a part, was known as the Kedar Khand. Legend has it that Guru Dronacharaya, a Brahmin teacher of the Kauravas and Pandavas in Mahabharat , set up his ashram or 'dera' here. Eventually, the Dron Ashram came to be known as Dehradun. Therefore, it is also referred to as Dronpuri in history. According to the ''Ramayana'', Lord Rama and his brother Lakshmana undertook a penance in Dehradun for killing Ravana, the demon king of Lanka.

Katyuris of Garhwal

There is no evidence of any kind for quite a long period after that, and the next prominent rulers of the valley were the Katyuris of Garhwal. Next, this stronghold of the Katyuri dynasty, passed into the hands of the Sikhs and Mughals and later, the Gorkhas of Nepal ruled here for a long time, until the British took control of the region. For many centuries the region formed part of the Garhwal Kingdom with some interruption from the Rohillas of the adjoining plains of Rohilkhand.

Gorkhas and British Period

For about two decades till 1815 it was under the occupation of Nepal. In April 1815 Gorkhas were ousted from Garhwal region and Garhwal was annexed by the British. In that year the area now comprising the tehsil of Dehra Dun was added to the district Saharanpur. In 1825, however, it was transferred to the Kumaon Division. In 1828, Dehra Dun and Jaunsar Bhabar were placed under the charge of a separate Deputy Commissioner and in 1829, the Dehra Dun district was transferred from the Kumaon Division to the Meerut Division. In 1842, Dun was attached to Saharanpur district and placed under an officer subordinate to the Collector of the district, but since 1871 it has been administered as separate district. In 1968 the district was taken out from the Meerut Division and included in the Garhwal Division.
Following a war between the Nepal and the British, the Treaty of Sugauli was signed in 1816 that established the current boundaries of Nepal. Garhwal and Kumaon regions, including Dehradun were ceded to the British. While territories west of the Alaknanda were returned to the Garhwal Raja now established at Tehri, Eastern Garhwal (later British Garhwal) and Dehradun were retained under direct British control.
During British rule, Dehradun used to be the summer base for the Viceroy's bodyguards. The British established: The Forest Research Institute in 1906; The Royal Indian Military College (Rashtriya Indian Military College) in 1922; and The Indian Military Academy in 1932.

World War II

During World War II, its facilities included an internment camp for Axis nationals. (Heinrich Harrer's escape from it launched his experiences in Tibet.)

Sikh Pilgrimage

According to the local legend, Dehra or 'camp' refers to Ram Rai, son of Guru Har Rai, the 7th Guru of the Sikhs. Ram Rai founded a Gurudwara here in the old city close to the railway station, which is a pilgrimage centre for the Sikhs. Dehradun is also an important city for the Sikhs as one of the son of a Guru had taken refuge in Dehradun in the seventeenth century. At that time, the Sikhs had doubted the credentials of Shri Ram Rai and drove him out so that he had to set up his camp or dera in the city. Today, the city has the Ram Rai Durbar, a gurdwara named after him.
Dehradun is known as the gateway to the majestic Himalayas. The mountain range lies to the north of the city while the sacred Ganga and Yamuna rivers encircle it from the east and west. Ganga enters Dehradun from the east at Tapovan and flows south-west to reach Haridwar via Raiwala and Rishikesh. Yamuna flows from the west down towards the south. The other rivers of the area are Asan, Tons, Bindal and Rispana.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census,^[1] Dehradun had a population of 447,808. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Dehradun has an average literacy rate of 77%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 81% and, female literacy is 72%. In Dehradun, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age. The population has a diverse background and comprises Garwali, Punjabi, Kumauni, UP and Anglo-Indian communitites.

Climate

Dehradun has typical weather of a north Indian city: cold winters, hot summer, rainy monsoon season and a balmy spring. The winter ranges from November to February is cold, temperature touching freezing occasionally. The months of December and January are the coldest due to winter rains, coinciding with snow-fall in the nearby mountains ranges. Overall the winters are dry. The spring, lasting from March to April, are very pleasant. Almost overnight, with almost no warning, sometime in April spring leads to onset of summer months. Summer last from April-May to July, with fairly high temperatures (sometimes even higher than 40 °C). Monsoon months, ranging from July-September, are a welcome change after the hot summer as they bring the monsoon rains from Arabian Sea (south-west of Indian subcontinent). The monsoon months are extremely humid specially July and early August. A brief autumn, between September and October, leads to winter months. There are no special changes in the autumn season except for mild weather.
Most residents have noticed a change in the weather patterns in the last 2 decades, with the growth of city. As one resident narrates "The city had a wonderful climate till a few decades ago. In summer months, rain was common in the evenings, leading to cooling. Incessant tree logging has severely damaged the local ecosystem, that may be linked to change in the weather patterns and as a result summer have become hotter. Till few years ago, houses in Dehradun did not even need ceiling fans but the need for air-conditioners is felt to keep cool during summer months.". Warmer climate has become a severe issue for Dehradun and its wildlife population. Species found specifically in that region have now become in danger of being extinct; it has already suffered the loss of one of its more exotic species. The Salari cobra population, inhabiting the northern region of Dehradun, has been decreased considerably leading to concerns about extinction.

Education

Dehradun has several Catholic missions with religious affiliations through establishment of high-schools. Some of high-schools are almost 100 years old but the population of Dehradun still has a very few Catholics. The region has Welham Boys' School, Doon School and St. Joseph's Academy which are considered to be the best schools/colleges in India. Neighbouring Musoorie has the famous residential schools - St George's College and Woodstock School, which has added to the location being seen as a hub for quality schools in North India. The city is well known for education standards in schools and is home to over 300 high schools.

Culture

The posh city of Dehradun is bustling. It is the state capital and is also the home of many government institutions. The center of city's activities is the popular landmark known as the ''Clock-Tower (Ghanta-ghar)'', which is a tall structures with 6 non-functioning clocks; many efforts in the last 20 years to revive the clocks have been unsuccessful. The numerous high schools of the city attract students from all over the country. During the day it is common to see students (dressed in various high-school uniforms) to be moving around the city. Even though city transportation is now taken care of by blue striped city buses crisscrossing the city, another popular site are the omnipresent blue three wheel vehicles (known as "Vikrams"). These vehicles provide the most common and cheapest form of public transport, however, these vehicles have also been cited as the chief cause of increased levels of noise and air pollution in the city.
Undoubtedly Dehradun's main wealth is its young. Being the centre of world class educational institutions (aka school capital of India), the city has a very cosmopolitan outlook. The Dehradun young(original) are very urbane in their disposition. It has been often said that Dehradun creates one of the best men and women in terms of outlook and future employability. A number of India's top leaders have spent a substantial part of their life here. The city's young are completely in terms with their colonial past and contemprary present. Even though they have been nurtured with respect to their modern education and westernized outlook, Doonites have not forgotten their cultural roots. Because of comparatively lower economic opportunities, a migration towards other parts of India (or world) has been rampant. Popular downtown destinations apart from clubs and bars include Astley Hall and Rajpur Road. There have been reported lavish private parties in the city's outskirts as well.

Economy

The city has witnessed tremendous growth in the last 20 years. Because of its educational background and high international remittences, Dehradun enjoys a high per capita income, which in dollar terms hovers close to $1800 (national average $800). The city's transition into a large urban cetre has been nothing less than phenominal. Dehradun is in a middle of a commercial boom which is amplified by the establishment of various SEZ (special economic zones)through out the city. Right from IT parks to specifically built industrial belts have proved to be a haven for industrialists of national and international repute. Combined with excise benefits companies are finding prospective establishment in the city (like other parts of Uttranchal) very attractive. With the construction of Delhi-Dehradun four lane highway now on full swing, the primary bottle neck endangering the city's growth (the Delhi-Dehradun two lane highway) has been solved. More economic development is expected at a much wider scale.

Tourism

Nearby locations are

★ Malsi Deer Park,

★ Sahastradhara,

★ Tapkeshwar Shiv Temple,

★ Laxman Sidh Temple,

★ Robber's Cave,

★ Lachhiwala,

★ Santhla Devi etc. surround this beautiful city,
Nearby locations are the hill stations of Mussoorie
Landour just 36 km away. There is a 16 km (easy) trekking route from Dehradun to Mussoorie.
Dhanaulti is a lovely hill station beyond Mussoorie
Chakrata is another nearby hill station, but it is a good 80 km away.
Paonta Sahib is a pilgrimage place for Sikhs with a historic Gurudwara on the banks of the Yamuna.
Other nearby religious places are Haridwar and Rishikesh.

Famous Residents

Photos

References

1.

External links

★

★ Official tourism site for the Dehradun District

★

★ Dehradun Business Directory