19th November, 2021
The city is noted for its picturesque landscape and slightly milder climate and provides a gateway to the surrounding region. It is well connected and in proximity to Himalayan tourist destinations such as Mussoorie, Dhanaulti, Chakrata, New Tehri, Uttarkashi, Harsil, Chopta-Tungnath, Auli, and famous summer and winter hiking destinations like the Valley of Flowers at Dodital, DayaraBugyal, Kedarkantha, Har Ki Dun and Hemkunt Sahib for camping and Himalayan panoramic views.
The Hindu holy cities of Haridwar and Rishikesh, along with the Himalayan pilgrimage circuit of Chota Char Dham, viz. Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath, are also primarily accessed via Dehradun, with it being the closest major city.
Dehradun itself derives its name from the historical fact that Baba Ram Rai, the eldest son of the Seventh Sikh Guru Har Rai, set up his “Dera” (camp) in “dun” (valley) in 1676. This ‘Dera Dun’ later on became Dehradun.
Dehradun’s Afghan connection dated back to the First Anglo-Afghan War, after which the Afghan Emir Dost Mohammad Khan (Emir of Afghanistan) was exiled by the British to Dehra Dun.He stayed in Mussoorie for over 6 years. The Balahissar ward under the Mussoorie municipality has been named after the palace of Dost Mohammad. The famous Dehradooni Basmati was brought along by him from Kunar Province in Afghanistan and it continues to be counted as a delicacy of the valley.
The education hub of northern India, the city is home to iconic institutions like Welham and Doon School, alma mater of stalwarts like former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Olympian Abhinav Bindra, and renowned author Amitav Ghosh. The Indian Military Academy is also located here. Said to have been established by Sikh guru Ram Rai in 1675, the city is also known as the abode of Dronacharya, the famed teacher from the epic Mahabharata.
Dehradun is a great tourist place too. It has tourist attractions like:
- Sahastradhara, also known as ‘Thousand Fold Spring’, is a beautiful place surrounded by caves and the Baldi River.
- Robber’s Cave, also known as GuchuPani, is a 600m-long cave with small waterfalls and a river flowing inside it. It is said that during the British times, robbers used to treat this cave as a hideout, and hence, the name.
- With beautiful green surroundings and River Ganga flowing through it, Tapovan is an ideal location to rest, meditate and seek spiritual strength
- Mindrolling Monastery, that translates into the ‘Place of Perfect Emancipation’ is one of the biggest Buddhist learning centers in India. Constructed by Kochen Rinpoche in 1965, it took three years for the monastery to take the final shape. Dedicated to Buddhist teachings and world peace, this monastery in Clemant Town has a 60-metre tall stupa housing important Tibetan relics, scriptures and wall paintings.
