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Dehradun is situated in the newly formed Himalayan state of Uttaranchal around 235 km from Delhi at the center of the Doon valley. |
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The city has the Himalayas to its north, the Shivalik range to its south, the sacred Ganges to its east and the Yamuna to its west.
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Dehradun is the part of Garhwal Himalayan region, which was earlier known as Kedar Khand. Katyuris of Garhwal were the initial rulers of this region. Later, this stronghold of the Katyuri dynasty passed into the hands of the Sikhs and Mughals. The Gorkhas of Nepal also ruled here for a long time till the British came into the picture. Following a war between the Gorkhas and the British, the Treaty of Sugauli was signed in 1816. With this, the British established their hold over the entire Garhwal and Kumaon regions including Dehradun. Today this enchanting city still retains the quaint flavours of the Raj, though the influences of the tourism are gradually turning it into a metropolitan. The people of the city pride themselves for having a smile for all those who come to their lovely city. Dehradun at present is the capital of Uttaranchal and poised for major developments in the coming future.
| Fact File |
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| Area |
37.17 sq. km |
| Population |
270,159 |
| Altitude |
695 metres |
| Languages: |
Hindi and English |
| Best Time To Visit |
November-December and April-July |
| STD Code: |
0135 |
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HISTORY
There are several legends associated with Dehradun, which is believed to be one of the oldest cities of the country. However, the earliest tangible evidence of the history of the city is a third century rock inscription discovered in 1860 at Kalsi, on the outskirts of the city. 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 third 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. Following a war between the Gorkhas and the British, the Treaty of Sugauli was signed in 1816, with which the British established their hold over the entire Garhwal, and Kumaon regions including Dehradun.
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 ram and his brother undertook a penance in Dehradun for killing Ravan, the demon king of Lanka.
Dehradun is also an important city for the Sikhs as one of their gurus took refuge in Dehradun in the seventh 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.
While in India, the British were enchanted by the climate and the serene environment of Dehradun, and made it into a residential resort. They also set up several important institutions and schools here.
Best Season, Climate and Clothing
Located in one of the most scenic and tranquil hill regions of India, Dehradun is blessed with a moderate climate. During the summer months, the temperature ranges between 44.5°C and 16.7°C. The winter months are colder with the maximum and minimum temperatures touching 23.6°C and 5.4°C respectively.
Round the year, tourists throng the lush green valley of which Dehradun forms the center. However, if one wants to see the snow in the Garhwal Himalayas, November/December would be the best months to visit Dehradun and if one wants to escape from the oppressive heat of the Indian summer, then April to July would be the ideal time for a trip to the Doon valley.
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