Dehradun

The capital of Uttarakhand, Dehradun is a gateway to some of the most popular hill stations in the country like Nainital and Mussoorie. Nestled in the Doon Valley, it is primarily known for the number of elite boarding schools it has like the Doon School and the Indian Military Academy. Dehradun is also called the ‘school capital of India’ for the number of schools it is home to. The much-loved Basmati rice is grown in abundance in this city and then exported to other parts of the country. Despite excelling in different businesses like schooling, agriculture, construction, etc, the city of Dehradun is still known for its calm and relaxing life where the weather is pleasant and the air, fresh. It lies between the Ganga and Yamuna Rivers, two of the most prominent water bodies in the county. The city is at an elevation of 450m above sea level and makes for a pleasant stay for tourists. We give you a low-down on everything you should know about Dehradun for a memorable trip whether it is a solo, couple, or family vacation.

Dehradun derives its name from two words, ‘dera’ meaning home and ‘doon’ meaning valley that lies between the Himalayas and the Shivaliks. The city is also often referred to as the Doon Valley. According to one story, the naming of Dehradun took place due to Shri Ram Rai, the eldest son of the seventh Sikh Guru Har Rai Ji. It is believed that he along with his disciples set camp or ‘dera’ in the Doon Valley. And thus, it came to be known as Dehradun. The city was also mentioned in the two great epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.  According to mythology, Dehradun is the birthplace of Dronacharya, the royal guru of Kauravas and Pandavas. Not just this, but the Pandavas to have had an influence on the city when they ruled Hastinapur. On the other hand, it is also believed that Ram along with his brother Laxman came to Dehradun after they defeated Ravan in the epic battle. Relics like ancient temples, idols as old as 2,000 years link these stories from the epics to Dehradun. Being the capital of Uttarakhand, Dehradun is well-connected by roads, rail, and air and is easily accessible from most parts of the country. It is 235 km away from Delhi that is easy to reach from different parts of India. Chandigarh is only 183 km away from Dehradun and many drive down to this place in their vehicle. You can even avail of public and private buses from places like Agra, Kullu, Shimla, Delhi, and Chandigarh. If you prefer taking the train, the Dehradun Railway Station has trains plying from different cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata Varanasi, Lucknow, etc. Trains like Nandadevi Express, Shatabdi Express, and Jan Shatabdi run to and from this railway station. On the outskirts of the city of Dehradun is its Jolly Grant Airport. There are a few direct flights from Lucknow and Delhi to Dehradun and a few connecting once from a few other cities like Mumbai and Trivandrum. Being well-connected by all means of transport makes Dehradun easy to reach and an accessible tourist destination that you can visit any time of the year. The landscape of Dehradun is bright and colorful, giving the city a majestic charm to complement its beautiful temples and structures. Dehradun is very near to some of India’s most popular pilgrimage sites such as Haridwar and Rishikesh. Apart from the innumerable fairs, temples, and museums that attract lakhs of tourists to Dehradun, the pleasant weather that the city enjoys, apart from good connectivity, is one of the many reasons that Dehradun is quite a favorite among tourists. There are several sights to see in this beautiful city and if you are planning a trip to Dehradun, make sure you include these in your list.

Dehradun itself derives its name from the historical fact that 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.

The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb was highly impressed by the miraculous powers of charismatic Ram Rai. He asked the contemporary Maharaja of Garhwal, Fateh Shah, to extend all possible help to Ram Rai. Initially, a Gurudwara (temple) was built in Dhamawala. The construction of the present building of Darbar Shri Guru Ram Rai Ji Maharaj was completed in 1707. There are portraits of gods, goddesses, saints, sages, and religious stories on the walls. There are pictures of flowers and leaves, animals and birds, trees, similar faces with pointed noses, and big eyes on the arches which are the symbol of the color scheme of Kangra-Guler art and Mughal art. High minarets and round pinnacles are the models of Muslim architecture. The huge pond in the front measuring 230 x 80 feet had dried up for want of water over the years. People had been dumping rubbish; it has been renovated and revived. Dehradun was invaded by Mahmud of Ghazni during his campaigns into India followed by Timur in 1368, Rohilla chief Najib ad-Dawlah in 1757, and Ghulam Qadir in 1785. In 1806 Nepalese King Prithvi Narayan Shah united many of the Indian territories that now fell under places such as Almora" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almora">Almora, Pathankot" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathankot">Pathankot, Kumaon, Garhwal, Sirmur, Shimla, Kangra, and Dehradun. On the western front, Garhwal and parts of Himachal Pradesh" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himachal_Pradesh">Himachal Pradesh up to Punjab, India" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjab,_India">Punjab and the eastern front the state of Sikkim" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikkim">Sikkim up to Darjeeling" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darjeeling">Darjeeling became parts of Nepal for a brief period until the British East India Company went on the war from 1814 to 1816. The war ended with the signing of the Treaty of Sugowliwhere almost a third was ceded to British East India company. The British got Dehradun in 1816 and colonized Landour and Mussoorie in 1827–1828. Capt John War memorial maintained by the army at DehradunJawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister, was quite fond of the city and often visited. He spent his last few days here before passing away in Delhi in 1964.^[14] Another leader from the independence movement, Rash Behari Bose, who was one of the key organizers of the Ghadar conspiracy and, later, the Indian National Army was based in Dehradun in his early days before he was forced to move to Japan in 1915 to continue the freedom struggle.

Post-independence Dehradun and other parts of Garhwal and Kumaon were merged with United Provinces which was later renamed the state of Uttar Pradesh" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uttar_Pradesh">Uttar Pradesh. In 2000, Uttarakhand state (earlier called Uttaranchal) was created from the northwestern districts of Uttar Pradesh under the Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2000. Dehradun was made its interim capital.