Dehradun
Dehradun , previously called
Dehra Doon, (
Hindi: देहरादून) is the capital city of
Uttaranchal state of
India and is also the headquarters of
Dehradun District. It is located in the Doon valley, 230
kilometers north of India's capital
New Delhi and the
Delhi metro. It is surrounded by the
Himalayan mountains in the north,
Shivalik Hills in the south, the river
Ganges 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
Uttaranchal on November 9th 2000, Dehradun was a part of the historic state
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", which is grown in the fields surrounding the neighbouring
Saharanpur.
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Latitude: 30° 19' North
*
Longitude: 78° 04' East
*
Altitude: 635 meters (2,100 feet) above sea level
*Area: 3088
kilometers square
*Temperature: Summer (April-July): 16 °C - 36 °C. Winter (November-February): 2 °C - 24 °C .
*Telephone area code (
STD code within India): 0135
*Telephone area code (International): +91 (0)135
*Languages spoken:
Hindi,
Punjabi,
English,
Garhwali,
Urdu,
Nepali and
Sindhi.
*Population (1991 census) : 1,025,680 (55% males and 45% females)
nick n abi rok
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. The 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. There is no evidence of any kind of 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 till the British came into the picture. For many centuries the region formed part of the Garhwal kingdom with some interruption from the
Rohillas of the adjoining plains of
Rohilkhand. For about two decades till 1815 it was under the occupation of the Gorkhas. In April 1815 Gorkhas were ousted from Garhwal region and Garhwal was annexed by the British. In that year the area now comprising tehsil Dehra Dun was added to 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 is being administered as separate district. In 1968 the district was taken out from Meerut division and included in the Garhwal Division.According to the local legend, 'camp' refers to Ram Rai, son of Shri Hari Rai, the 7th guru of the Sikhs. Ram Rai founded a Gurudwara here, which is a pilgrimage centre for the Sikhs.
During British rule, Dehradun used to be the summer base for the Viceroy's bodyguards. In course of time, it was converted into an excellent centre for education and developed as a military cantonment.
Dehradun has a long and rich history. In Skanda Purana, this place has been mentioned as a part of Kedar Khand. By the end of the third century, it became a part of King Ashoka's vast empire. In subsequent centuries, it was a part of the Garhwal kingdom. In the beginning of the 19th century, for two decades, it was ruled by the Gorkhas. The Gorkha regime came to an end when the British captured this region in 1815.
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 embrace 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.
The entire district is spread over in an area of 1800 km², extending from the Himalayan chain in the north to the Shivalik range in the south, and from the banks of the Ganga in the east to the Ghats of Yamuna in the west. The fertile alluvial soil along with inundated water supply makes it a farmer's paradise. The climate here is temperate. Summers are moderate and winters are cool. However, at times, the mercury drops below the freezing point. The average rainfall in the area is around 2000 mm.
--It is also believed that in the 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 and son of the mighty river Ganges, set up his ashram or 'dera' here. Eventually, the Dron Ashram came to be known as Dehradun. According to another legend, Lord
Rama and his brother undertook a penance in Dehradun for killing
Ravana, the demon king of Lanka.
Following a war between the Gorkhas 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.
Dehradun is also an important city for the Sikhs as one of their gurus took refuge in Dehradun in the seventeenth century. At that time, the Sikh community had doubted the credentials of Guru 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 the guru.
During
World War II, its facilities included an
internment camp for
Axis nationals. (
Heinrich Harrer's escape from it launched his experiences in
Tibet.)
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 March 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 so special changes in the autumn season except for mild weather. The region around Dehradun does not experience the falling of leaves, typical of cold regions.
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 becomer 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.
The city is the headquarters/home of many government institutes and organizations:
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Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy*
Forest Research Institute (FRI)
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Indian Military Academy (IMA)
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Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (at Mussoorie)
*
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited*
Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE)*
Wildlife Institute of India*
Indian Institute of Remote Sensing*
Survey of India* Zoological Survey of India
*
Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology*
National Institute for the Visually Handicapped (NIVH)* Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP)
*
Defence Electronics Applications Laboratory (DEAL) and
Instrument Research and Development Establishment (IRDE)* Cyborg Technology (An educational and software company)
* Keshava Deva Malviya Institute of Petroleum Exploration
* Botanical Survey Of India
* Central Soil and Water Conservation Research & Training Institute.
* Opto Electronics Factory (OLF), Ministry of Defence.
* Ordnance Factory (OFD), Ministry of Defence.
*Government institute of hotel management and catering technology, Patel Nager Dehradun
Dehradun became a target of several
Catholic missions with religious affiliations through establishment of high-schools. Some of high-schools are almost 100 years old but the polulation of Dehradun still has a very few
Catholics. Nevertheless, the city is well known for education standards at the high school level. It is home to over 300 high schools including:
* Army School (Indian Military Academy)
*
Brightlands School*
Brooklyn School*
Cambrian Hall*
Carman Residential and Day School (Carman School)* Children's Academy
*
Colonel Brown Cambridge School* Convent of Jesus and Mary High School
* Doon Blossoms
* Doon Cambridge
*
The Doon SchoolKaruna Vihar, A school for children with special needs (lrmf.org)
* Kendriya Vidyalaya OFD
* Kendriya Vidhalya ONGC
* Kendriya Vidyalaya New Forest
*
Kendriya Vidyalaya Hbk* Marshalls School
* Raja Rammohan Roy Academy (now known as Cambridge School)
* Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC)
* St. Thomas' College
* Scholar's Home
*
Sunrise Academy, Raipur Road, Dehra Dun*
St. Mary's Convent School* Shri Guru Ram Rai Public School
*
St. Joseph's Academy Alumini Blog*
Welham Boys' School* Welham Girls' High School
* The Army Public SchoolThere are also several colleges (some affilaited with the Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garwhal University.)
* DAV
* Dayanand Brijendra Swaroop (DBS) Postgraduate College
*
Dehradun Institute of Technology, Dehradun*
Narayan Swami Hospital and Dental College, Dehradun*
Sri Guru Ram Rai Institute of technology & Science, DehradunDehradun is bustling, as it is the state capital and is also the home of many government institutes. The center of city's activities is the popular landmark known as
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. Another popular site through-out the city are the omnipresent yellow-black vehicles (known as "Vikrams"). These vehicles provide the most common form of public transport, however, these vehicles have been cited as the cause of increase in the levels of noise and air pollution of the city.
The city has witnessed tremendous growth in the last 20 years.
For the younger members of the community the popular destinations are Astley Hall and Rajpur Road.
Many tourist spots like Malsi Deer Park, Sahastradhara, Tapkeshwar Shiv Temple, Laxman Sidh Temple, Robber's Cave, Lachhiwala, Santhla Devi etc. surround this beautiful city, with the hill stations of
Mussoorie and
Landour just 36 km away (22 miles). There is a 16 km (easy) trekking route from Dehradun to
Mussoorie.
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1]
Dehra Dun is also a "melt" rock band based out of San Diego, CA.
Dehra Dun Official WebsiteDehra Dun is also strategically located near other religious and tourist centres such as Hardwar, Rishikesh ("abode of the Gods") and Nainital. It is also the center for the Indian Military Academy (IMA).
