Dehradun () is the capital and the most populous city of the

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

n state of

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...

. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...

and is governed by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation, with the

Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly The Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly, also known as the Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha, is a unicameral governing and law making body of Uttarakhand, one of the 28 states of India. It is seated at Dehradun, the winter capital, and Bhararisain, the sum ...

holding its winter sessions in the city as its winter capital. Part of the

Garhwal region Garhwal (IPA: /ɡəɽʋːɔɭ/) is one of the two administrative divisions of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Lying in the Himalayas, it is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Kumaon, on the south by Uttar Pradesh state, and on the ...

, and housing the headquarters of its Divisional Commissioner. Dehradun is one of the " Counter Magnets" of the

National Capital Region A capital region, also called a capital district or capital territory, is a region or district surrounding a capital city. It is not always the official term for the region, but may sometimes be used as an informal synonym. Capital regions can exis ...

(NCR) being developed as an alternative center of growth to help ease the migration and population explosion in the

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...

metropolitan area and to establish a

smart city A smart city is a technologically modern urban area that uses different types of electronic methods and sensors to collect specific data. Information gained from that data is used to manage assets, resources and services efficiently; in retur ...

in the Himalayas. It is the third largest city in the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 10 ...

after

Kathmandu , pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...

and Srinagar. Dehradun is located in the

Doon Valley The Doon Valley is an unusually wide, long valley within the Sivalik Hills and the Lesser Himalayas, in the Indian states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. Within the valley lies the city of Dehradun, the capital of Uttarakhand st ...

on the foothills of the

nestled between

Song river The Song River is a river located in the Morobe Province of Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet b ...

, a tributary of Ganga on the east and the Asan river, a tributary of

Yamuna The Yamuna ( Hindustani: ), also spelt Jumna, is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of B ...

on the west. The city is noted for its picturesque landscape and slightly milder climate and provides a gateway to the surrounding region. Dehradun is a notable academic and research hub and is home to the

Indian Military Academy The Indian Military Academy (IMA) is one of the oldest military academies in India, and trains officers for the Indian Army. Located in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, it was established in 1932 following a recommendation by a military committee set up ...

, Forest Research Institute,

Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA) is a forestry training institute under the Ministry of Environment and Forests of India, which was originally as Indian Forest College, established in 1938 for training senior forest officers. It ...

The Doon School The Doon School (informally Doon School or Doon) is a selective all-boys boarding school in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India, which was established in 1935. It was envisioned by Satish Ranjan Das, a lawyer from Calcutta, who prevised a school mod ...

Welham Boys School Welham Boys' School is a boarding school located in Dehradun, India. The school is a residential school for boys and is affiliated with CBSE. It is ranked amongst the top five boys' boarding schools in the country as per the Education World ra ...

Welham Girls School Welham Girls' School is a private boarding school for girls located in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. History The school was established in 1957. Welham was named after the little Welsh village from where its founder, H.S. Oliphant hailed. ...

, Brightlands School,

Rashtriya Indian Military College The Rashtriya Indian Military College (abbreviated RIMC; formerly known as Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College) is a military school for boys and girls situated in Doon Valley, Dehradun in India. The RIMC is a feeder institution for ...

Uttarakhand Ayurveda University Uttarakhand Ayurved University is a public state university located at Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. It was established in 2009 by the Government of Uttarakhand through the ''Uttarakhand Ayurved University Act, 2009''. It focuses on teaching an ...

, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology and the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing. It is the headquarters of the Surveyor-General of India. According to the combined survey based on health, infrastructure, economy, education, and crime, conducted by

Dainik Jagran ''Dainik Jagran'' ( Hi:दैनिक जागरन , , ) is an Indian Hindi language daily newspaper. It was ranked 5th in the world and 2nd in India by circulation in 2016. In 2019 Quarter 4, according to Indian Readership Survey, Daini ...

and

KPMG KPMG International Limited (or simply KPMG) is a multinational professional services network, and one of the Big Four accounting organizations. Headquartered in Amstelveen, Netherlands, although incorporated in London, England, KPMG is a net ...

, Dehradun is one of India's safest cities. Dehradun is also known for its

Basmati Basmati, , is a variety of long, slender-grained aromatic rice which is traditionally grown in India, Pakistan, and Nepal.

rice and bakery products. Also known as the Abode of Drona''', Dehradun has been an important center for Garhwal rulers and was captured by the British. For its strategic value, in addition to the location of its principal service academy, the

Indian Armed Forces The Indian Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of India. It consists of three professional uniformed services: the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force.—— Additionally, the Indian Armed Forces are supported by th ...

maintain a considerable presence in Dehradun, at the Garhi Cantonment and Naval Station. The

Uttarakhand Police The Uttarakhand Police is the law enforcement agency for the state of Uttarakhand in India and it was formed in 2000. Organisational structure Uttarakhand Police comes under the direct control of Department of Home Affairs, Government of Utta ...

is the primary law enforcement agency in the city. It is well connected and in proximity to Himalayan tourist destinations such as

Mussoorie Mussoorie is a hill station and a municipal board, near Dehradun city in the Dehradun district of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is about from the state capital of Dehradun and north of the national capital of New Delhi. The hill s ...

Dhanaulti Dhanaulti is a quiet hill station at an elevation of 2286 meters above sea level, it offers panoramic views of the lofty Himalayas. Situated in the foothills of the Garhwal Himalayan range located from New Tehri, the district headquarter, 6 ...

Chakrata Chakrata is a cantonment town and also a sub district/tehsil, in Dehradun district. in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It lies between the Tons and Yamuna rivers, at an elevation of 2118 m, 98 km from the state capital, Dehradun. Chakrat ...

, New Tehri,

Uttarkashi Uttarkashi, meaning Varanasi, Kashi of the north, is a town located in Uttarkashi district in Uttarakhand, India. Uttarkashi town is headquarters of the district. Uttarkashi is also known as Somya Kashi. Uttarkashi is a religious place for spir ...

Harsil Harsil, the Himalayan paradise, is a village, tourist hill station and army area located on the banks of the Bhagirathi River, on the way to Gangotri, a Hindu pilgrimage site in Uttarkashi district of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Situated ...

Chopta Chopta is a small region of meadows and evergreen forest area, a part of Kedarnath wildlife sanctuary located in Uttarakhand state, India and a base for trekking to Tungnath, the third temple of Panch Kedar which lies away. Located at a dist ...

Tungnath Tungnath (IAST:tuņgnāth) is one of the highest Shiva temples in the world and is the highest of the five Panch Kedar temples located in the Rudraprayag district, in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The Tungnath (literal meaning: Lord of ...

, Auli, and famous summer and winter hiking destinations like the Valley of Flowers at Dodital,

Dayara Bugyal Dayara Bugyal is a Bugyal (Himalayan Alpine Meadow) in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. Dayara Bugyal is a popular Trekking and Camping Destination. The Bugyal has an average elevation of 3639m and is around 40 km from Uttarkashi. Daya ...

Kedarkantha Kedarkantha ( Hindi: केदारकंठ) is a mountain peak of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand, India. Its elevation is . Kedarkantha is located within Govind Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttarkashi district Uttarkashi District is a district ...

, Har Ki Dun and Hemkunt Sahib for camping and Himalayan panoramic views. The

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

holy cities of

Haridwar Haridwar (; ) is a city and municipal corporation in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India. With a population of 228,832 in 2011, it is the second-largest city in the state and the largest in the district. The city is situated on the ri ...

and Rishikesh, along with the Himalayan pilgrimage circuit of

Chota Char Dham The Chota Char Dham (literally translated as 'the small four abodes/seats', meaning 'the small circuit of four abodes/seats'), is an important Hindu pilgrimage circuit in Uttarakhand, in the Indian Himalayas. Located in the Garhwal region ...

, viz. Yamunotri, Gangotri,

Kedarnath Kedarnath is a town and Nagar Panchayat in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, India, known primarily for the Kedarnath Temple. It is approximately 86 kilometres from Rudraprayag, the district headquarter. Kedarnath is the most remote of t ...

and

Badrinath Badrinath is a town and nagar panchayat in Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. A Hindu holy place, it is one of the four sites in India's Char Dham pilgrimage and is also part of India's Chota Char Dham pilgrimage circuit. ...

, are also primarily accessed via Dehradun, the closest major city.

Etymology

Dehradun is made up of two words "dehra" + "dun." "dehra" is a Hindi word with the meaning of temple, whose etymology is: "dev" + "ghar", from

Prakrit The Prakrits (; sa, prākṛta; psu, 𑀧𑀸𑀉𑀤, ; pka, ) are a group of vernacular Middle Indo-Aryan languages that were used in the Indian subcontinent from around the 3rd century BCE to the 8th century CE. The term Prakrit is usu ...

"devahara." "dūn" (or Hindi दून derives from the Sanskrit droṇī (or द्रोणि) and means "a tract of country lying at the foot of hills; a valley" The town was established when

Baba Ram Rai Baba Ram Rai (Gurmukhi: ਰਾਮ ਰਾਏ; ''rāma rā'ē''; 1645–1687) was the eldest son of the seventh Sikh Guru, Guru Har Rai, and the founder of the Ramraiyas, an unorthodox sect in Sikhism. He founded the Guru Ram Rai Darbar Sahib, ...

, the son of the seventh Sikh Guru,

Guru Har Rai Guru Har Rai (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿ ਰਾਇ, pronunciation: ; 16 January 1630 – 6 October 1661) revered as the ''seventh Nanak'', was the seventh of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion.Aurangzeb in Delhi. Aurangzeb objected to a verse in the Sikh scripture (''Asa ki Var'') that stated, "the clay from a Musalman's grave is kneaded into potter's lump", considering it an insult to Islam. Baba Ram Rai explained that the text was miscopied and modified it, substituting "Musalman" with "Beiman" (faithless, evil) which Aurangzeb approved.Ram Rai
Encyclopedia of Sikhism, Editor in Chief: Harbans Singh, Punjab University The willingness to change a word led Guru Har Rai to bar his son from his presence, and name his younger son as his successor. Aurangzeb responded by granting Baba Ram Rai a jagir (land grant) in Garhwal region (

). The town later came to be known as Dehradun, after ''Dehra'' referring to Baba Ram Rai's shrine. Many followers of Ram Rai, called

Ramraiyas Ramraiyas (Gurmukhi: ਰਾਮਰਾਈਆ; ''rāmarā'ī'ā''), also referred to as ''Ram Raiyas'', are a Sikh sect that follow Baba Ram Rai, the excommunicated eldest son of Guru Har Rai (1630–61). Ram Rai was sent by his father as an emissa ...

, settled with Ram Rai, During the days of

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was him ...

, the official name of the town was Dehra. In due time the word Dehra was linked to Dun, and thus the city was named Dehradun. In the

Skanda Purana The ''Skanda Purana'' (IAST: Skanda Purāṇa) is the largest '' Mukyapurana'', a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts. The text contains over 81,000 verses, and is of Kaumara literature, titled after Skanda, a son of Shiva and Parvati, w ...

, Dun is mentioned as a part of the region called Kedarkhand, the abode of

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

. According to Hindu mythology, in ancient India during the

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the s ...

epic era, Dronacharya the great teacher of

Kauravas ''Kaurava'' is a Sanskrit term which refers to descendants of Kuru, a legendary king of India who is the ancestor of many of the characters of the epic ''Mahabharata''. Usually, the term is used for the 100 sons of King Dhritarashtra and his w ...

and

Pandavas The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledge ...

, lived here hence the name, "Dronanagari" (lit. ''city of Drona'').

History

The history of the city of

, Dehradun (nicknamed "Doon Valley") is linked to the story of

Ramayana The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...

and

. It is believed that after the battle between

Ravana Ravana (; , , ) is a rakshasa king of the island of Lanka, and the chief antagonist of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana'' and its adaptations. In the ''Ramayana'', Ravana is described to be the eldest son of sage Vishrava and rakshasi Kaikesi. ...

and Lord

Rama Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...

, Lord Rama and his brother

Lakshmana Lakshmana ( sa, लक्ष्मण, lit=the fortunate one, translit=Lakṣmaṇa), also spelled as Laxmana, is the younger brother of Rama and his loyalist in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He bears the epithets of Saumitra () and Ramanuja () ...

visited this site. Also, known as 'Dronanagari' on the name of Dronacharya, legendary Royal guru to the

and

in the epic Mahabharata, is believed to have been born and resided in Dehradun. Evidences such as ancient temples and idols have been found in the areas surrounding Dehradun which have been linked to the mythology of Ramayana and Mahabharata. These relics and ruins are believed to be around 2000 years old. Furthermore, the location, the local traditions and the literature reflect this region's links with the events of Mahabharata and Ramayana. Even after the battle of Mahabharata, the Pandavas had an influence on this region as the rulers of Hastinapura with the descendants of Subahu ruled the region as subsidiaries. Likewise, Rishikesh is mentioned in the pages of history when Lord

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...

answered the prayers of the saints, slaughtered the demons and handed the land to the saints. The adjoining place called

has its historical impression during the time of Mahabharata. In the seventh century, this area was known as Sudhanagara and was described by the Chinese traveler Huen Tsang. Sudhanagara later came to be recognized as Kalsi.

Edicts of Ashoka The Edicts of Ashoka are a collection of more than thirty inscriptions on the Pillars of Ashoka, as well as boulders and cave walls, attributed to Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Empire who reigned from 268 BCE to 232 BCE. Ashoka used the exp ...

have been found in the region along the banks of the river

in Kalsi indicating the wealth and importance of the region in ancient India. In the neighboring region of Haripur, ruins were discovered from the time of King Rasala which also reflect the region's prosperity. Before the name of Dehradun was used, the place is shown on old maps as Gurudwara (a map by Webb, 1808) or Gurudwara (a map by Gerard, 1818). Gerard's map names the place as "Dehra or Gurudwara". Surrounding this original Sikh temple were many small villages that are now the names of parts of the modern city. Guru Ram Rai Temple, Dehradun, 1858

Dehradun itself derives its name from the historical fact that

, 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, Guru Ram Rai Darbar Sahib, 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 colour scheme of Kangra-Guler art and

Mughal art Mughal painting is a style of painting on paper confined to miniatures either as book illustrations or as single works to be kept in albums (muraqqa), from the territory of the Mughal Empire in South Asia. It emerged from Persian miniature paint ...

. High minarets and round pinnacles are the models of Muslim architecture. The huge pond in the front measuring had dried up for want of water over the years. People had been dumping rubbish; it has been renovated and revived. Flag of the Princely State of Tehri Garhwal

Flag of the Princely State of Tehri Garhwal

Dehradun was invaded by Mahmud of Ghazni during his campaigns into India followed by

Timur Timur ; chg, ''Aqsaq Temür'', 'Timur the Lame') or as ''Sahib-i-Qiran'' ( 'Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction'), his epithet. ( chg, ''Temür'', 'Iron'; 9 April 133617–19 February 1405), later Timūr Gurkānī ( chg, ''Temür Kü ...

in 1368, Rohilla chief Najib ad-Dawlah in 1757 and

Ghulam Qadir Ghulam Kadir, fully Ghulam Abd al Qadir Ahmed Khan ( ur, غلام عبد القادر احمد خان, unknown – 3March 1789), was a leader of the Afghan Rohilla during the late 18th century in the time of the Mughal Empire. He is particularly ...

in 1785. In 1806, the Nepalese warlord ''Kaji''

Amar Singh Thapa Amar Singh Thapa Chhetri distinguished as Badakaji Amar Singh Thapa( ne, बडाकाजी अमर सिंह थापा क्षेत्री), or Amar Singh Thapa The Elder, (also spelled Ambar Simha) also known by the honorific nam ...

under the central leadership of Prime Minister

Mukhtiyar Mukhtiyar ( ne, मुख्तियार) was the position of head of executive of Kingdom of Nepal between 1806 and 1843. It was equivalent to Prime Minister of Nepal. There were 7 Mukhtiyars appointed between 1806 and 1843. Meaning ''Mukhti ...

Bhimsen Thapa Bhimsen Thapa ( ne, भीमसेन थापा (August 1775 – 29 July 1839)) was a Nepalese statesman who served as the ''Mukhtiyar'' (equivalent to prime minister) and de facto ruler of Nepal from 1806 to 1837. He is widely known as the ...

united many of the Indian territories that now fell under places such as

Almora Almora ( Kumaoni: ''Almāḍ'') is a municipal board and a cantonment town in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Almora district. Almora is located on a ridge at the southern edge of the Kumaon Hills of th ...

Pathankot Pathankot is a city and the district headquarters of the Pathankot district in Punjab, India. Pathankot is the 6th most populous city of Punjab, after Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala and Bathinda. Its local government is a municipal co ...

Kumaon Kumaon or Kumaun may refer to: * Kumaon division, a region in Uttarakhand, India * Kumaon Kingdom, a former country in Uttarakhand, India * Kumaon, Iran, a village in Isfahan Province, Iran * , a ship of the Royal Indian Navy during WWII See also ...

, Garhwal, Sirmur,

Shimla Shimla (; ; also known as Simla, the official name until 1972) is the capital and the largest city of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared as the summer capital of British India. After independence, the ...

, Kangra and Dehradun. On the western front Garhwal and parts of

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...

up to

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...

and on the eastern front the state of

Sikkim Sikkim (; ) is a state in Northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Province No. 1 of Nepal in the west and West Bengal in the south. Sikkim is also close to the Silig ...

up to

Darjeeling Darjeeling (, , ) is a town and municipality in the northernmost region of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it has an average elevation of . To the west of Darjeeling lies the easternmost province of Nepal ...

became parts of Nepal for a brief period until the British

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...

went on the war from 1814 to 1816. The war ended with the signing of the Treaty of Sugowli where almost a third was ceded to British East India company. The British got Dehradun in 1816 and colonized

Landour Landour, a small cantonment town contiguous with Mussoorie, is about from the city of Dehradun in the northern state of Uttarakhand in India. The twin towns of Mussoorie and Landour, together, are a well-known British Raj-era hill station in nor ...

and

in 1827–1828. Capt john

Jawaharlal Nehru Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat— * * * * and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20t ...

, 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. Another leader from the independence movement,

Rash Behari Bose Rash Behari Bose (; 25 May 1886 – 21 January 1945) was an Indian revolutionary leader against the British Raj. He was one of the key organisers of the Ghadar Mutiny and founded the First Indian National Army during World War 2. The Indian N ...

, who was one of the key organizers of the

Ghadar conspiracy The Ghadar Mutiny ( Hindustani: ग़दर राज्य-क्रान्ति (غدر بغاوت), ''Ġadar Rājya-krānti'', ''Ġadar Baġāvat''), also known as the Ghadar Conspiracy, was a plan to initiate a pan-India mutiny in the Br ...

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

were merged with United Provinces which was later renamed the state of

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...

. In 2000, Uttarakhand state (earlier called Uttaranchal) was created from the northwestern districts of Uttar Pradesh under the Uttar Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2000. Dehradun was made its interim capital.

Afghan connection

Dehradun's Afghan connection dated back to the

First Anglo-Afghan War The First Anglo-Afghan War ( fa, جنگ اول افغان و انگلیس) was fought between the British Empire and the Emirate of Kabul from 1838 to 1842. The British initially successfully invaded the country taking sides in a succession d ...

, after which the Afghan Emir

Dost Mohammad Khan Dost Mohammad Khan Barakzai (Pashto/Persian: ; 23 December 17929 June 1863), nicknamed the Amir-i Kabir, Also titled Amir al-Mu'minin, was a member of the Barakzai dynasty and one of the prominent rulers of the Emirate of Afghanistan. His 37-year ...

was exiled by the British to Dehra Dun. He stayed in

for over 6 years. The Balahissar ward under the Mussoorie municipality has been named after the palace of Dost Mohammad. The famous Dehradooni

Basmati Basmati, , is a variety of long, slender-grained aromatic rice which is traditionally grown in India, Pakistan, and Nepal.

was brought along by him from

Kunar Province Kunar (Pashto: ; Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeastern part of the country. Its capital is Asadabad. Its population is estimated to be 508,224. Kunar's major political groups include Wahhabis or Ahl-e- Ha ...

in Afghanistan and it continues to be counted as a delicacy of the valley. Forty years later, after the

Second Anglo-Afghan War The Second Anglo-Afghan War (Dari: جنگ دوم افغان و انگلیس, ps, د افغان-انګرېز دويمه جګړه) was a military conflict fought between the British Raj and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the l ...

, his grandson,

Mohammad Yaqub Khan Mohammad Yaqub Khan (Pashto/Dari: ; 1849November 15, 1923) was Emir of Afghanistan from February 21 to October 12, 1879. He was the son of the previous ruler, Sher Ali Khan. Mohammad Yaqub Khan was appointed as the governor of Herat province in ...

, was sent to exile to India in 1879. Just like his grandfather, he chose Doon valley as his abode. Yakoob became the first Afghan to formally settle in Dehradun. The present Mangla Devi Inter College was once the Kabul Palace where Yakoob spent a few years of his life. The extended family and servants of the King were also relocated to Dehradun. The Afghan royal family maintained a presence in Dehra Dun. It was the birthplace of the second to last

King of Afghanistan This article lists the heads of state of Afghanistan since the foundation of the first modern Afghan state, the Hotak Empire, in 1709. History The Hotak Empire was formed after a successful uprising led by Mirwais Hotak and other Afghan trib ...

Mohammed Nadir Shah Mohammed Nadir Shah ( Persian and ps, محمد نادر شاه – born Mohammed Nadir Khan; 9 April 1883 – 8 November 1933) was King of Afghanistan from 15 October 1929 until his assassination in November 1933. Previously, he served as Mini ...

. Two quaint palaces – the Kabul Palace in Dehradun and Bala Hissar Palace in Mussoorie – stand testimony to this connection with Afghanistan. They were built by these Afghan rulers in exile in India in the early part of the 20th Century and are palaces are a miniature replica of the palatial structures owned by the kings in Afghanistan. The Bala Hissar Palace has now been turned into Mussoorie's Wynberg Allen School. Doon-based heritage enthusiast Ghanshyam told the Times of India, "The police station at Karanpur used to be the royal guard room of Yakoob way back in 1879. The electrical office located at the Survey Chowk was the royal servant quarters." Today the descendants of the former royalty, Yakub Khan and his grandson Sardar Azim Khan's family have integrated with the mainstream of Dehra Dun life. The Doon connection was revived when Zahir Shah, the last king of Afghanistan while undergoing treatment in New Delhi during the last years of his life expressed a desire to meet his Doon cousins but the meeting could not take place as the family members were away.

Ashraf Ghani Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai (born 19 May 1949) is an Afghan politician, academic, and economist who served as the president of Afghanistan from September 2014 until August 2021, when his government was overthrown by the Taliban. Born in ...

, the current

President of Afghanistan The president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was constitutionally the head of state and head of government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (2004–2021) and Commander-in-Chief of the Afghan Armed Forces. On 15 August 2021, as th ...

has mentioned that his grandmother grew up in Dehra Dun. "I speak of Tagore because I was raised on Tagore by my grandmother who lived in Dehradun...," Dr Ghani said while talking about India's vision and the remarkable transformation. Dehra Dun is also being selected to be the second "home" ground of the

Afghan cricket team The Afghanistan men's national team ( ps, د افغانستان کرکټ ملي لوب‌‌‌‌‌‌ډله, fa, تیم ملی کریکت افغانستان) represents Afghanistan in international cricket. Cricket has been played in Afgha ...

. and Afghan cricket fans recall this "centuries old link" with the town.

Geography

The city of Dehradun mainly lies in

and is at a varying height from in Clement Town to above at Malsi which is from the city. However, the average elevation is above sea level. Malsi is the starting point of Lesser Himalayan Range that extends to Mussoorie and beyond.

Jaunsar-Bawar Jaunsar-Bawar is a hilly region in Garhwal division of Uttarakhand, northern India. It is located in the north-west of Dehradun district, along the border with the state of Himachal Pradesh. Ethnically, Jaunsar-Bawar comprises two regions, inh ...

hills in Dehradun district rises to above sea level. The hilly region of

goes up to a height of above sea level. Its geomorphological and meteorological characteristics make it prone to a number of natural hazards. Beside earthquakes, the region is frequently devastated by landslides, cloudbursts, flash-floods, cold waves and hailstorms. The

Doon valley The Doon Valley is an unusually wide, long valley within the Sivalik Hills and the Lesser Himalayas, in the Indian states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. Within the valley lies the city of Dehradun, the capital of Uttarakhand st ...

contains the settlements including Raiwala, Rishikesh, Doiwala, Harrawala, Dehradun,

Herbertpur Herbertpur is a town and a nagar panchayat in Dehradun district Pachhhwadoon in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Uttarakhand. Geography Herbertpur is located on the bank of river Asan and the name of the place is on the name ...

Vikasnagar Vikasnagar is a city and a municipality in Dehradun district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Vikas Nagar is also a tehsil in Dehradun district It is also known as Pachawadoon (Western Doon) and is the second financial and economic hub of ...

, Sahaspur, Selaqui, Subhash Nagar and Clement Town. The district houses

Rajaji National Park Rajaji National Park is an Indian national park and tiger reserve that encompasses the Shivaliks, near the foothills of the Himalayas. It is spread over 820 km2 and includes three districts of Uttarakhand: Haridwar, Dehradun and Pauri G ...

which is home to elephants, Benog Wildlife Sanctuary at Mussoorie & Asan Conservation Reserve (

Asan Barrage The Asan Barrage is a barrage in the Uttarakhand-Himachal Pradesh border region in Doon Valley, ( Dehradun district), northern India, situated at the confluence of the Eastern Yamuna Canal and the Asan River and about from Dakpathar, and 28&nb ...

). The Doon Valley has the

Terai , image =Terai nepal.jpg , image_size = , image_alt = , caption =Aerial view of Terai plains near Biratnagar, Nepal , map = , map_size = , map_alt = , map_caption = , biogeographic_realm = Indomalayan realm , global200 = Terai-Duar savanna a ...

and Bhabar forests within it as well as the

Shivalik hills The Sivalik Hills, also known as the Shivalik Hills and Churia Hills, are a mountain range of the outer Himalayas that stretches over about from the Indus River eastwards close to the Brahmaputra River, spanning the northern parts of the Ind ...

and Lesser Himalayan Range containing hill stations such as Mussoorie and

. The district is bordered by the

in the north, Rajaji Range of the

Sivalik Hills The Sivalik Hills, also known as the Shivalik Hills and Churia Hills, are a mountain range of the outer Himalayas that stretches over about from the Indus River eastwards close to the Brahmaputra River, spanning the northern parts of the India ...

to the south, the river

Ganges The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...

to the east, and the

river to the west. Towns in the foothills of the mountain ranges include Sahastradhara,

Lakhamandal Lakhamandal is an ancient Hindu temple complex, situated in the Jaunsar-Bawar region of Dehradun district in the state of Uttarakhand. The temple is dedicated to lord Shiva. This temple is popular among the Shaktism, who believe that a visit ...

, Gautam Kund, Chandrabani, Kalsi and

Dakpathar Dakpathar, also spelled Dakpatthar and Dak Pather is a small hill town situated in Dehradun district of Uttarakhand, India. It is on the left bank of the Yamuna River The Yamuna ( Hindustani: ), also spelt Jumna, is the second-largest t ...

. This district is divided into two major parts: the main city Dehradun surrounded by Shivalik and the Jaunsar-Bawar, which is in the foothills of Himalayas. In the north and northwest it borders on the district of

and

Tehri Garhwal Tehri Garhwal is a district in the hill state of Uttarakhand, India. Its administrative headquarters is at New Tehri. The district has a population of 618, 931 (2011 census), a 2.35% increase over the previous decade. It is the 7th ranked dist ...

, in the east and southeast by

Pauri Garhwal Pauri Garhwal is a District (India), district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Its headquarters is in the town of Pauri. It is sometimes referred to simply as Garhwal district, though it should not be confused with the larger Garhwal regio ...

and

river, in the west, it is bordered by

and Sirmaur districts of

Yamunanagar Yamunanagar (), is a city and a municipal corporation in Yamunanagar district in the Indian state of Haryana. This town is known for the cluster of plywood units and paper industries. It provides timber to larger industries. The older town is ...

district of

Haryana Haryana (; ) is an Indian state located in the northern part of the country. It was carved out of the former state of East Punjab on 1 Nov 1966 on a linguistic basis. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with less than 1.4% () of India's land a ...

and the Tons and

rivers. To the south are

and

's Saharanpur district. It is between latitudes 30°01' N and 31°2'N and longitudes 77°34' E and 78°18'E. This district consists of six tehsils – Dehradun, Chakrata, Vikasnagar, Kalsi, Tiuni and Rishikesh – six community development blocks – Vis, Chakrata, Kalsi, Vikasnagar, Sahaspur, Rajpur and Doiwala – 17 towns and 764 villages. Out of these 746 villages are inhabited; 18 are uninhabited.

Heritage canal network

There was once an extensive canal network in the city, which irrigated many surrounding villages and produced a cooler microclimate in the region. The earliest canal, Rajpur canal, was laid in the 17th century. After Dehradun became the state capital in 2000, most of the heritage canals were covered or demolished to widen the city roads. Environmental groups have campaigned for the revival of the network, citing its benefit for the city's

ecology Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overl ...

, aesthetics, microclimate and

built environment The term built environment refers to human-made conditions and is often used in architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, public health, sociology, and anthropology, among others. These curated spaces provide the setting for human a ...

Climate

The climate of Dehradun is

humid subtropical A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

. It varies greatly from tropical to severe cold depending upon the altitude of the area. The city is in Doon Valley and temperature variations due to difference in elevation are considerable. In the hilly regions, the summer is pleasant. But in the Doon, the heat is often intense and summer temperatures can reach up to for a few days and hot winds (called Loo) blows over North India. Winter temperature drops below freezing point and is usually between and fog is quite common as in the plains. Although the temperature in Dehradun can reach below freezing during severe cold snaps, this is not common. The area receives an average annual rainfall of . Most of the annual rainfall in the city is received during the months from June to September, July and August being rainiest. During the

monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal osci ...

season, there is often heavy and protracted rainfall. Agriculture benefits from fertile alluvial soil, adequate drainage and plentiful rain.

Demographics

The 2011 census reported a population of 578,420 in Dehradun city; male and female are 303,411 and 275,009 respectively. The sex ratio of the city is 906 per 1000 males. Natives of Uttarakhand form the majority of Dehradun's population. The sex ratio of the city is 907 per 1000 males and child sex ratio of is 873 girls per 1000 boys, lower than the national average. The number of children of age under six in Dehradun city was 59,180 as per figure from Census India report on 2011. There are 31,600 boys and 27,580 are girls. Total numbers of slums in Dehradun city and its Out Growth numbers 32,861 in which population of 158,542 resides. This is around 27.58% of total population of Dehradun city & its outgrowth which is 574,840.

Hindi Hindi ( Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...

, the official state language, is the primary language in Dehradun. English is also used, particularly by defence wing and the white-collar workforce. Native regional languages include

Garhwali Garhwali may refer to: * Garhwali people, an ethno-linguistic group who live in northern India * Garhwali language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by Garhwali people * anything from or related to: **Garhwal division, a region in state of Uttarakhan ...

, Kumaoni and Jaunsari. Other major languages are Punjabi, Nepali, Bhojpuri,

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

and

Tibeto-Burman The Tibeto-Burman languages are the non- Sinitic members of the Sino-Tibetan language family, over 400 of which are spoken throughout the Southeast Asian Massif ("Zomia") as well as parts of East Asia and South Asia. Around 60 million people spea ...

. Hindus form the majority of Dehradun's population; Muslims compose a large minority. According to provisional results of the 2011 national census,

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

is majority religion in Dehradun city with 82.53% followers. Islam is the second most practiced religion in the city with approximately 11.75% following it.

Sikhism Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...

by 3.5%,

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

is followed by 1.06%,

Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle bein ...

by 0.63%, and

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...

by 0.29%. Around 0.01% stated 'Other Religion', approximately 0.24% stated 'No Particular Religion'. Dehradun's literacy rate at 89.32% is the highest in the region. Male literacy is 92.65% and female literacy is 85.66%. The number of literates in Dehradun city is 463,791, of which 251,832 are males and 211,959 are females.

Government and politics

As capital of the state of Uttarakhand, Dehradun houses important state government facilities such as the offices of the local governing agencies, the

Vidhan Sabha The State Legislative Assembly, or Vidhan Sabha, or also Saasana Sabha, is a legislative body in the states and union territories of India. In the 28 states and 3 union territories with a unicameral state legislature, it is the sole legislati ...

(the home of the Uttarakhand state legislature), and

Raj Bhavan Raj Bhavan () is the common name of the official residences of the governors of the states of India and may refer to: List of Raj Bhavan See also * Raj Niwas *Rashtrapati Bhavan The Rashtrapati Bhavan (, rāsh-truh-puh-ti bha-vun; ; o ...

(the residence of the governor of Uttarakhand). Most government establishments and institutions are housed in the city. Dehradun city falls in Garhwal division of Uttarakhand which is headed by the divisional commissioner of Dehradun, who is an

Indian Administrative Service The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is the administrative arm of the All India Services of Government of India. Considered the premier civil service of India, the IAS is one of the three arms of the All India Services along with the Indian ...

(IAS) officer of high seniority. The

district magistrate and collector A District Collector-cum-District Magistrate (also known as Deputy Commissioner in some states) is an All India Service officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) cadre who is responsible for ''land revenue collection'', ''canal revenu ...

of Dehradun report to the divisional commissioner as well. The DM is assisted by a chief development officer; five additional district magistrates for finance/revenue, city, rural administration, land acquisition and civil supply. The city is represented in two Lok Sabha constituencies, of

by MP Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah from the

BJP The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Mo ...

, and Garhwal represented by BJP's

Tirath Singh Rawat Tirath Singh Rawat (born 9 April 1964) is an Indian politician, a sitting Member of Parliament and former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand. He was elected to the 17th Lok Sabha from the Garhwal constituency in the 2019 Indian general election a ...

, elected in 2019. The city is also represented by four MLAs elected from four state assembly constituencies, as per the 2008 delimitation:

Civic administration

Nagar Nigam Dehradun, also called Dehradun Municipal Corporation, is the local government of the city. The corporation originated in 1998. Prior to December 2003, this body was known as Dehradun Municipal Council, and after revamping the municipality, the Dehradun Municipal Corporation came into existence under the Uttarakhand (The Uttar Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, 1959) (Amendment) Act, 2017. As of 2018, the municipality covers an area of and administers a population of 803,983. In 2017, with the inclusion of 72 adjoining villages in the DMC limits, the number of wards increased from 60 to 100. As of 2020, the corporation consists of 100 wards and the elected head is the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

who presides over a deputy mayor and 99 other corporators representing the wards. The

is directly elected for a period of five years and is currently Sunil Uniyal Gama, elected in November 2018. The municipal commissioner is the executive head of the local government institutions (the

municipal corporation A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to) cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. The term can also be used to describe municipally ...

) in the division, in charge of infrastructure development in his division, and is also responsible for maintaining law and order in the division. As of 2020, the municipal commissioner is Vinay Shankar Pandey while the deputy municipal commissioner is Soniya Pant. The corporation has the following departments: public works, property tax, health, street lights, project implementation unit, Information Technology and sanitation. As per the ASICS report 2017, Dehradun municipality generates very few of its own revenues and relies primarily on grants from the state government. The municipality collects revenue from property taxes and parking fees. Other urban entities involved in civic services and city governance and management include parastatals like the

Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority MDDA is a state-run parastatal which was established in 1984 with the objective of planning and development of the city. Mussoorie Dehradun Development area includes Dehradun Urban Agglomeration, Mussoorie Municipal area and its surrounding 185 ...

(MDDA), Special Area Development Authority (SADA), Jal Sansthan, and Jal Nigam among others. These oversee the city's civic infrastructure which comes under Dehradun Urban Agglomeration and covers a population of 714,223 according to the 2011 census.

Police administration

The headquarters of

are located in Dehradun. While the state is headed by the

Director general of police Director general of police (DGP) is a rank in the Indian Police Service, held by the highest ranking police officer in a State or a Union Territory of India, typically heading the state or the UT police force. The DGP is appointed by the cab ...

, the district is headed by Deputy inspector general of police (DIG) Garhwal. The city's nodal police officer is the

superintendent of police Superintendent (Supt) is a rank in the British police and in most English-speaking Commonwealth nations. In many Commonwealth countries, the full version is superintendent of police (SP). The rank is also used in most British Overseas Territories ...

(SP City) who reports to the senior superintendent of police (SSP) who also holds the post of DIG. Dehradun falls under the Lucknow zone of the Chief Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is part of the central government. Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACB) Dehradun, has jurisdiction over 13 districts in Uttarakhand.

Civic utilities

Water supply

Dehradun city receives potable water from two primary sources- surface water and groundwater to meet its supply needs. The sources of water were mainly from Kaulu khet Spring, Maussifall, Bindal River, Bijapur canal and more than 100 tubewells. It suffers from lack of sufficient ground water recharge and depleting ground water tables. The water supply of Dehradun is operated and maintained by Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan (UJS), a state agency.

Solid waste management, sewerage

The sewage of Dehradun is operated and maintained by Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan (UJS) but is also selectively under the aegis of the Smart City project funded by the central government. As per a report from 2015, only 25% of the city is covered by the existing sewage system. According to the Smart Cities Annexe 2, the sewerage covers 30% of the city, and has an efficiency of 10%. The city of Dehradun generates of waste per day. The landfill or dumping site has since shifted from the dumping ground on Sahastradhara road in 2017 to one centralized solid waste processing plant in Dehradun, Shishambara on the outskirts of the city which has the capacity of 600 MP per day. Only 69 of the 100 wards in the city are covered by this plant and only 3% of the wards in Dehradun have 100% segregation of waste at source. Segregation of waste at source is lacking in the city, although the municipality spends around one crore per month on collection and transportation of solid waste. A decentralized pilot project was started in Nathuwala ward with the help of local residents and an NGO called Feedback Foundation and has since been declared a zero waste zone. Electricity in Dehradun is regulated through the Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL), while Fire services are handled by the Uttarakhand Fire and Emergency Services. State-owned

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited Bharat, or Bharath, may refer to: * Bharat (term), the name for India in various Indian languages ** Bharata Khanda, the Sanskrit name for the Indian subcontinent (or South Asia) * Bharata, the name of several legendary figures or groups: ** Bhar ...

, or BSNL, as well as private enterprises, among them

Vodafone Vodafone Group plc () is a British multinational telecommunications company. Its registered office and global headquarters are in Newbury, Berkshire, England. It predominantly operates services in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania. , Vod ...

Bharti Airtel Bharti Airtel Limited, commonly known as (d/b/a) Airtel, is an Indian multinational telecommunications services company based in New Delhi. It operates in 18 countries across South Asia and Africa, as well as the Channel Islands. Currently, ...

, Reliance,

Idea Cellular Idea Cellular (commonly referred to as Idea, and stylised as ''!dea'') was an Indian mobile network operator based at Mumbai, Maharashtra. Idea was a pan-India integrated GSM operator and had 220.00 million subscribers as of June 2018. Id ...

, and

Tata Teleservices Tata Tele Business Services Limited (TTBSL), formally known as Tata Tele Services Limited (TTSL), is an Indian broadband, telecommunications and cloud service provider based in Mumbai. It is a subsidiary of the Tata Group, an Indian conglome ...

are the leading telephone and cell phone service providers in the city.

Public health

The healthcare facilities in Dehradun consist of private and public hospitals, formal and informal service providers as well as secondary and tertiary healthcare with single clinic doctors. In spite of having special status under the

National Health Mission The National Health Mission (NHM) was launched by the government of India in 2005 subsuming the National Rural Health Mission and National Urban Health Mission. It was further extended in March 2018, to continue until March 2020. It is headed b ...

, the city is facing a healthcare crisis due to the shortage of medical manpower in the state and financial constraints. Hospitals and medical centers in the Dehradun are plagued by non-functioning equipment in the operating theatre and the insufficient number of labor rooms. Hospitals in the city include the Doon Hospital, Max Super Specialty Hospital, Shri Mahant Indresh Hospital, Himalayan Hospital, Uttaranchal Ayurvedic Hospital, Combined Medical Institute (CMI) Hospital, Luthra Hospital, and Government Hospital Premnagar (managed by the state government).

Education

Schools

Schools in Dehradun are classified as aided, unaided and Government schools. These schools are affiliated with CBSE,

Indian Certificate of Secondary Education The Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) is an examination conducted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, a private board designed to provide an examination in a course of general education, in accordance wi ...

(ICSE) or CISCE; except for the government schools, which are run directly by the Uttarakhand Board of School Education and follow the syllabus prescribed by the state government. The language of instruction in schools is either English or Hindi. Uttarakhand Board of School Education is responsible for administering courses of instructions, textbooks, and to conduct examinations for secondary school students of the state. The board was set up in 2001 and is headquartered in

Ramnagar Ramnagar may refer to the following places: Bangladesh * Ramnagar, Bangladesh, a village in Chittagong Division * Ramnagar Union, Jessore Sadar India Jammu and Kashmir * Ramnagar, Udhampur, a town in Jammu and Kashmir ** Ramnagar Fort Udha ...

. Notable private educational institutions in Dehradun include The Asian School, Brightlands School,

Cambrian Hall Cambrian Hall is a private school located in the district of Dehradun, now the capital of Indian state of Uttarakhand. Cambrian Hall is a residential day, co-educational English Medium School. It is certified by the Council for the Indian Schoo ...

Colonel Brown Cambridge School Colonel Brown Cambridge School is one of the oldest residential schools in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. It is an English medium school affiliated to the Indian Council of School Certificate Examination (CICSE) board of Education. The schoo ...

, Convent of Jesus and Mary,

Ecole Globale International Girls' School Ecole Globale International Girls' School is a private international boarding school for girls, situated in the foothills of the Himalayas in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. History Ecole Globale was founded in 2013 by Amarjeet Juneja. This is ...

, Marshall School,

, SelaQui International School, St Joseph's Academy, Dehradun, St. Thomas' College,

Summer Valley School Dehradun () is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and is governed by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation, with the Uttarakhand Legislative As ...

and

, Indian Army Public Schools. Several Indian and international luminaries have attended these schools. In addition to these schools there are many other state board schools located in the city. Since Dehradun has many central Government offices, there are as many as 12 Kendriya Vidyalayas also in the city.

Higher education and research

After completing their secondary education, students typically enrol in schools that have a higher secondary facility and are affiliated with the Directorate of higher education, the ICSE, or the CBSE. The colleges are each affiliated with a university or institution based either in Uttarakhand or elsewhere in India. In recent times, Dehradun has evolved as a pivot location for higher education in India. Premier research institutes based in Dehradun are Doon University, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun Institute of Technology (DIT), Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Indian Institute of Petroleum,

Himgiri Zee University Himgiri Zee University is a Private university located in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest c ...

, Wildlife Institute of India,

Instruments Research and Development Establishment The Instruments Research & Development Establishment (IRDE) is a laboratory of the Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO). Located in Dehradun Dehradun () is the capital and the List of cities in Uttarakhand by population, most po ...

and Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology. Universities located in Dehradun are

Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Uttarakhand Medical Education University Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Uttarakhand Medical Education University (HNBUMU), also known H.N.B. Uttarakhand Medical Education University, is a medical education state university located at Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. It was established in 2014 b ...

Sardar Bhagwan Singh University

Uttaranchal University Uttaranchal University is located at Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India near Indian Military Academy. It was established by an Act of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly The Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly, also known as the Uttarakhand Vidhan ...

, Doon University, Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India University, Dehradun,

University of Petroleum and Energy Studies The University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, commonly known and doing business as UPES, is a private university in Dehradun, made up of the School of Engineering, the School of Computer Science, the School of Design, the School of Law, the Sch ...

, Swami Rama Himalayan University,

Graphic Era University Graphic Era Deemed to be University (formerly Graphic Era Institute of Technology) is a private deemed-to-be university in Clement Town, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. History Graphic Era was founded in 1993 by Dr. Kamal Ghanshala and start ...

and

Uttarakhand Technical University Uttarakhand Technical University is a public university in the Indian state of Uttarakhand set up by the Government of Uttarakhand on 27 January 2005, through the Uttarakhand Technical University Act 2005. It has 8 constituent institutes and a ...

. Uttarakhand Technical University has eight constituent institutes and approximately 132 affiliated colleges The campus of Forest Research Institute which was established in the year 1906 hosts the

(IGNFA), the staff college that trains officers selected for the Indian Forest Service (IFS). Wildlife Institute of India (WII) is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate change, Government of India which carries out wildlife research. Dehradun has four medical colleges.

Government Doon Medical College Government Doon Medical College is a full-fledged tertiary Government Medical college and hospital. It is located at Dehradun in Uttarakhand. The college imparts the degree of Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS). The yearly undergraduate stude ...

is the only government medical college located in the city. Private medical colleges include Shri Guru Ram Rai Institute of Medical & Health Sciences affiliated to

and Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences affiliated to Swami Rama Himalayan University. These three medical colleges caters to the population of Dehradun and nearby hilly areas. DoonAdminBlock

National Institute for Empowerment of People with Visual Disabilities (NIEPVD) plays a key role in helping blind people. It is the first such institute in India and the first press for

Braille Braille (Pronounced: ) is a tactile writing system used by people who are visually impaired, including people who are blind, deafblind or who have low vision. It can be read either on embossed paper or by using refreshable braille disp ...

script in the country which provides education and service to the blind children. Dehradun houses organizations like the Latika Roy Foundation for people with disabilities to access education, employment, and full inclusion in the community. The ASK Foundation, an educational charity, is also located in Dehradun. Notable scholars who were born, worked or studied in Dehradun include former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, scientists

Manju Bansal Manju Bansal (born. 1 December 1950) has specialized in the field of Molecular biophysics. Currently, she is a professor in theoretical Biophysics group for Molecular Biophysics unit in the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. She is the fo ...

& Chandramukhi Basu, writer William McKay Aitken, poet Kanwal Ziai, German-British botanist Dietrich Brandis, footballer

Anirudh Thapa Anirudh Thapa (born 15 January 1998) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Indian Super League club Chennaiyin, which he captains, and the India national football team. Club career Early life and youth career ...

, and DICCI member

Rajesh Saraiya Rajesh Saraiya (born 1969) is an industrialist and member of Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, DICCI. He is considered as first Dalit billionaire of India. Rajesh Saraiya is the CEO of Steel Mont Trading.Ltd, headquartered at Dü ...

Economy

Central Braille Press, Dehradun (photo - Jim Ankan Deka)

The main source of economy in Dehradun is its tourist places. The city's economy is enhanced by the presence of nearby national parks, mountain peaks and historical sites. Dehradun has a per capita income close to $2,993 (per 2020 figures). It has witnessed a strong economic growth in the last 20 years. Dehradun has experienced a commercial and information technology upswing, amplified by the establishment of software technology parks of India (STPI). and SEZs (

Special economic zones A special economic zone (SEZ) is an area in which the business and trade laws are different from the rest of the country. SEZs are located within a country's national borders, and their aims include increasing trade balance, employment, increas ...

) throughout. The largest profession in Dehradun is agriculture. Staple foods are rice and dal with raita, curd and salad. Dehradun is known for its lychees and for growing the world's finest basmati rice. It hosts training institutions of national importance such as the

(IGNFA), Zoological Survey of India (ZSI). It is home to national foundations such as the Ordnance Factory Dehradun,

(IRDE),

Defence Electronics Application Laboratory Center for Defence Electronics Application Laboratory (DEAL) is a laboratory of the Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO). Located in Dehradun, its primary function is research and development in the radio communication devices for ...

(DEAL) and other defence establishments. Other institutions include the Indian Institute of Petroleum, National Institute for Visually Handicapped, Central Soil and Water Conservation Research & Training Institute,

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is a central public sector undertaking under the ownership of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. It is headquartered in New Delhi. ONGC was founded on 14 August 1956 by the ...

(Keshav Dev Malviya Institute of Petroleum Exploration, Institute of Drilling Technology), Uttarakhand Space Applications Centre, Survey of India, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Forest Survey of India (FSI),

Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) is an autonomous organisation or governmental agency under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. Headquartered in Dehradun, its functions are to conduct fore ...

(ICFRE), Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Wildlife Institute of India, Forest Research Institute (FRI),

Army Cadet College The Army Cadet College (ACC) is an defence service training institution which trains defence service personnel for the Indian Army. The Army Cadet College Wing trains defence service personnel of Personnel Below Officers Rank (PBOR) from the reg ...

and the

(RIMC). Major defence production establishments include the Ordnance Factory Dehradun, the Opto Electronics Factory of the Ordnance Factories Board,

and

of the

Defence Research and Development Organization The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) (IAST: ''Raksā Anūsandhān Evam Vikās Sangaṭhan'') is the premier agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development in Ministry of Defence of the Government of India, ...

which manufactures products for the

. Many of these are located in the Raipur area. The Ordnance Factory estate is located in the middle of the mountains.

Transport

Airway

Dehradun is served by Dehradun Airport, also known as Jolly Grant Airport , which began its commercial operations in on 30 March 2008. It's from the city center and lies in Doiwala. The nearest international airport is in

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Ho ...

. Over 1,325,931 passengers passed through the airport in 21–22, making it the 33th busiest airport in India. The airport is to be developed as an international airport, which has caused protests since it would require the felling of trees in the ecologically sensitive area of Thano. There is also a helicopter service from Dehradun to Chinyalisaur a town in

Uttarkashi district Uttarkashi District is a district of Garhwal division of the Uttarakhand state in northern India, and has its headquarters at Uttarkashi city. It has six Tehsils namely Barkot, Dunda, Bhatwadi, Chinyalisaur, Purola and Mori. The district conta ...

and Gauchar.

Railway

Dehradun railway station Dehradun Terminal railway station is a railway station in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India, on the Northern line of the Northern Railway network. It is owned by Indian Railways. It was established in 1899 by the British. Several lines which run t ...

is the city's largest train station. Part of the

Northern Railways The Northern Railway (NR) is one of the 19 Railway zones of India and the northernmost zone of the Indian Railways. It is headquartered at Baroda House in New Delhi. History Officially notified as a new railway zone on 14 April 1952, i ...

(NR) zone, railway station was established in year 1899 by the British, it is the last station on the Northern railway line in the area. The Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC) is working on the redevelopment of existing railway stations to turn them into world-class travel hubs.

Roads

Dehradun lies on the National Highway 7, National Highway 307 which connects it to states

, and

. There are two sets of major roads in Dehradun city, one along NE-SW (Rajpur main road) and the other along with NW-SE (Raipur, Kaulagarh and Chakrata) directions and they, in turn, are connected to another minor road network. The road density is high in the central part of the city around the bus stand and railway station. The Uttarakhand Transport Corporation (UTC), a

public sector The public sector, also called the state sector, is the part of the economy composed of both public services and public enterprises. Public sectors include the public goods and governmental services such as the military, law enforcement, inf ...

passenger road transport

corporation A corporation is an organization—usually a group of people or a company—authorized by the state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law "born out of statute"; a legal person in legal context) and ...

is a major constituent of the transport system in Uttarakhand operates intracity and intercity bus service. There are also private transport operators operating approximately 3000 buses on non-nationalized routes along with a few interstate routes. Other modes of travel for local inter-city transportation are public transportation buses,

auto rickshaw An auto rickshaw is a motorized version of the pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw. Most have three wheels and do not tilt. They are known by many terms in various countries including auto, auto rickshaw, baby taxi, mototaxi, pigeon, jonnybee, bajaj ...

s and

cycle rickshaw The cycle rickshaw is a small-scale local means of transport. It is a type of hatchback tricycle designed to carry passengers on a for-hire basis. It is also known by a variety of other names such as bike taxi, velotaxi, pedicab, bikecab, ...

Culture

After becoming the capital, there has been continuous growth in education, communication and transport. As the state capital, Dehradun is home to many government institutions. City buses are identified with blue bars. There are auto rickshaw which are often used for transportation but blamed for pollution and noise. The evening buzz of Rajpur road is an attraction. The city center is easily recognized by the Clock tower (Ghanta Ghar), a structure with four functioning clocks. The statue of San Dijen placed in Shanti Niketan contributes to the beauty of the city. Dehradun has been home to artists and writers including Stephen Alter, Nayantara Sahgal, Allan Sealy,

Ruskin Bond Ruskin Bond (born 19 May 1934) is an Anglo-Indian author . His first novel, '' The Room on the Roof'', was published in 1956, and it received the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize in 1957. Bond has authored more than 500 short stories, essays, and ...

and also to country singer Bobby Cash. Dehradun was home to freedom fighters whose names are engraved in gold on the Clock Tower. It was called "The Gray City" in the initial days because ex-Army officers and VIPs considered this place ideal for residence after retirement. There are fairs ( melas) throughout the year. Notable fairs include Magh Mela, held on 14 January and Jhanda Mela in March, a fair for the Sikh community, that attracts Sikhs from all over India and abroad.

Tourism

Tourist destinations include the Dehradun Zoo, Kalanga Monument, Chandrabani, Himalayan Gallery cum Regional Science Centre Guchhupani, Forest Research Institute,

Uttara Museum of Contemporary Art The Uttara Museum of Contemporary Art (UMCA), located at MDDA Complex in Dehradun, is Uttarakhand’s first art museum dedicating multi-dimensional artworks in the memory of the 2013 North India floods (Kedarnath disaster). The museum exhibits v ...

, Tapovan, Lakshman Siddha Peeth,

Tapkeshwar Temple Tapkeshwar Temple of Dehradun, is also known as Tapkeshwar Mahadev Temple, is one of the most famous temples dedicated to Shiva. It is situated by the forest side. The main shivalinga at the temple is inside a natural cave. There are water d ...

, Santala Devi Temple,

Mindrolling Monastery Mindrolling Monastery (, English: "Sublime Island of Ripening Liberation"), is one of the "Six Mother Monasteries" of the Nyingma school in Tibet. It was founded by Rigzin Terdak Lingpa in 1676. Tendrak Lingpa's lineage is known as the ''Nyo'' ...

, Prakasheshwar Mahadev Temple, Sai Mandir, Central

Press and Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology. The tourist destinations can be divided into four or five areas: nature, sports, sanctuary, museums and institutions. The nearby hill stations are well known for their natural environment, temples for its faith dimensions, sanctuary for animal and bird lovers. Hill stations include

, Sahastradhara,

, and

. Famous temples include Tapkeshwar,

and Santala Devi. File:Hanuman Idol at Tapkeshwar Temple..jpg, Hanuman Idol at Tapkeshwar Temple File:An Indian monkey (bandar) in Malsi Deer Park (photo - Jim Ankan Deka).jpg, An Indian monkey in Malsi Deer Park File:Hanol Temple.jpg, Hanol Temple File:Robbers Cave, Dehradun.jpg, Robbers Cave, Dehradun File:Front view of Buddha Temple Dehradun Uttarakhand.jpg, Front view of Buddha Temple Dehradun Uttarakhand File:Santala Devi Temple Dehradun Uttarakhand.png, Santala Devi Temple Dehradun

Places of interest

There are a number of small towns and tourist sites in Dehradun District.

Kipling Trail

The Kipling Trail is the old walking route between Dehradun and

that was named after English novelist

Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work. ...

, who is believed to have walked the trail in the 1880s. It begins at Shahanshahi Ashram in Rajpur village. The trail is being revived as nature, history and hiking enthusiasts are increasingly using the trail over driving up to the hill station.

Khalanga War Memorial

The Battle of Nalapani was the first battle of the Anglo-Nepalese War of 1814–1816, fought between the forces of the British East India Company and Nepal, then ruled by the House of Gorkha. The battle took place around the Nalapani fort, near Dehradun, which was placed under siege by the British between 31 October and 30 November 1814.

Maa Bala Sundari Mandir

There are various temples of Maa Bala Sundari Devi situated in India and this is one such temple. The main temple is in Trilokpur, Himachal Pradesh. This temple is situated approximately South-West Direction of Sudhowala. This great temple is situated inside a forest.

Gaur Brahmin Gaur Brahmins (spelling variations: Gor or Gour), also Gauda Brahmins (spelling variations: Gaud, or God), also known as Adi Gauda/Gaur, is a group of Brahmin communities in India. The Gauda Brahmins are one of the five Pancha Gauda Brahmin commu ...

of Sudhowala are Pandits (Brahman) of this temple. It is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Maa Bala Sundari, also known as Bal Roop of Maa Vaishno Devi, a manifestation of the Hindu Mother Goddess

Mahalakshmi Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with '' Maya'' ("Illusion"). Al ...

. The words "maa" and "mata" are commonly used in India for "

mother ] A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of ges ...

", and thus are often used in connection with Maa Bala Sundari. Various modes of transportation are available from Sudhowala, including ponies, electric vehicles and palkis operated by 2 or 4 persons. Many pilgrims visit from the northern Indian states to get the blessings of Mahamaya Bala Sundari. A trust is also run by Mandir Maa Bala Sundari Trust, Sudhowala.

Dehradun International Cricket Stadium

Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Dehradun Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, also colloquially known as Dehradun Cricket stadium is a cricket stadium in the Dehradun, Uttarakhand in India. It is the home ground of Uttarakhand cricket team. It is the first international stand ...

is a multi-purpose stadium in the Raipur area of Dehradun,

. It is the first international level stadium in the state.

Robber's Cave

Robber's Cave (locally known as Guchhupani), is a

river cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea c ...

formation in

Himalaya The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...

, located approximately from the centre of Dehradun City in

state of India. Believed to be the hideout of the famous Sultana Daaku and his band of dacoits. The cave formation has thus been named Robber's Cave. The cave is about long, divided into two main parts. The cave has a highest fall of about . In the central part there is a fort wall structure which is now broken. It consists of an extremely narrow gorge formed in a conglomerate

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

area on

's Dehra

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ...

. It is a natural cave formation where rivers flows inside the cave. The place is a tourist site and is maintained by

State. Local bus services are available up to Anarwala village, from where it is a 1 km trek.

Lachhiwala Picnic Spot

It is a popular tourist destination especially during summers. It is well known for its forest scenic beauty, man-made water pools and bird watching. It is now known as Nature Park.

Tapkeshwar Temple

It is a temple of Pashupati Lord Shiva. It is situated beside a forest on the bank of the Asan river and the main deity ( Shivalinga) is housed in a natural cave. According to the holy epic

, Guru Drona is said to have resided in this cave for a period of time. The temple's natural cave is named Drona cave after him. Water trickles down the ceiling of the cave and drops on the Shivalinga creating a magnificent image.

Dehradun Zoo

Formerly known as Malsi Deer Park, the main objectives of Dehradun Zoo are conservation of wild animals, developing an education center and a rescue center for wild animals. It is located on the foothills of Shivalik Range on the Mussoorie Road. It is about away from Dehradun and from

Forest Research Institute

Forest Research Institute or 'FRI' is an institution in the field of forest research in India. It was founded as India's first forestry school in 1878 by Lt Col Frederick Bailey FRSE

FRSGS The Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) is an educational charity based in Perth, Scotland founded in 1884. The purpose of the society is to advance the subject of geography worldwide, inspire people to learn more about the world around ...

of the Royal Engineers. The institute is one of the oldest and biggest forest-based training institutes in India. The institute is known for its research work and wonderful architecture that dates to British Raj. FRI is affiliated to the Forest Research Institute University and is approved by the University Grants Commission (UGC). The aim of the institution is to accomplish the needs of the Indo-Gangetic plains of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh, as well as the Uttarakhand Himalayas.

Uttara Museum of Contemporary Art

is an art museum in Dehradun dedicating multi-dimensional artworks in the memory of the

disaster,

2013 North India floods In June 2013, a mid-day cloudburst centered on the North Indian state of Uttarakhand caused devastating floods and landslides, becoming the country's worst natural disaster since the 2004 tsunami. The rainfall received that month was far great ...

. The museum was founded in 2017 and is Uttarakhand's first art museum. It exhibits various aspects of the calamity and the folk culture of Uttarakhand through

paintings Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

sculptures Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

, and other artworks.

Regional Science Center

Regional Science Center (RSC) is located within the campus of Uttarakhand Council of Science and Technology (UCOST) at Vigyan Dham, Suddhowala on the outskirts of Dehradun. The Uttarakhand Regional Science Center is developed by the National Council for Science Museum (NCSM) in collaboration with the UCOST. The Regional Science Center is a popular destination for school educational tours and hosts a science museum, planetarium, a 3D theatre, science gallery and scientific law based interactive exhibits.

Lambi Dehar Mines

A deserted Limestone Mine supposed to be a haunted place is located in the Mussoorie Range of Dehradun District.

Virasat

Virasat is a cultural festival that celebrates all aspects of the country's cultural heritage. The festival was held for the first time in 1995 in Dehradun. It is recognised as the Afro-Asia's biggest folk life and heritage festival. Organized by REACH (Rural Entrepreneurship for Art & Cultural Heritage), this week-long festival includes performances and workshops in Indian folk and classical arts, literature, crafts, theatre, cinema and yoga. Virasat 2008 expanded the festival into a nationwide event.

Media

Most of the media houses in Uttarakhand are based in Dehradun. Among Dehradun's widely circulated Hindi-language newspapers are ''

Dainik Tribune ''Dainik Tribune'' (Hindi: दैनिक ट्रिब्यून) is an Indian Hindi-language daily newspaper that is being currently published from Chandigarh, New Delhi, Jalandhar, Dehradun and Bathinda. It was first established in 19 ...

'', ''Shah Times'', ''Uttarakhand Aaj'', ''

'', ''Gorkha Sandesh'', ''

Hindustan ''Hindūstān'' ( , from '' Hindū'' and ''-stān''), also sometimes spelt as Hindōstān ( ''Indo-land''), along with its shortened form ''Hind'' (), is the Persian-language name for the Indian subcontinent that later became commonly used by ...

'' ''Rashtriya Sahara'', ''Divya Himgiri'', and '' Amar Ujala''. ''The Dehradun Street'' and ''The Garhwal Post'' are two major English-language newspapers that are produced and published from the city. Other popular English-language newspapers published and sold in Dehradun include ''The Himachal Times'', ''

Deccan Herald ''Deccan Herald'' is an Indian English language daily newspaper published from the Indian state of Karnataka. It was founded by K. N. Guruswamy, a liquor businessman from Ballari and was launched on 17 June 1948. It is published by The Print ...

'', ''

The Times of India ''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...

'', and ''

Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media, an entity controlled by the KK Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia. It was founded by Sunder Singh Ly ...

''.

All India Radio All or ALL may refer to: Language * All, an indefinite pronoun in English * All, one of the English determiners * Allar language (ISO 639-3 code) * Allative case (abbreviated ALL) Music * All (band), an American punk rock band * ''All'' (All ...

, the national state-owned radio broadcaster, has AM radio stations in the city. All India Radio also airs an FM radio station known as AIR North. Dehradun has five FM stations including, AIR Dehradun, Radio Dehradun (community radio station), Red FM 93.5, Radio Zindagi, Hello Doon (NIVH) and Himagiri Ki Awaaz. There is a Doordarshan Kendra in the city and provides state-owned free-to-air terrestrial channel DD Uttarakhand. A mix of Hindi, English, and other regional channels are accessible via cable subscription,

direct-broadcast satellite Satellite television is a service that delivers television programming to viewers by relaying it from a communications satellite orbiting the Earth directly to the viewer's location. The signals are received via an outdoor parabolic antenna commo ...

service or Internet-based television.

Direct-to-Home Satellite television is a service that delivers television programming to viewers by relaying it from a communications satellite orbiting the Earth directly to the viewer's location. The signals are received via an outdoor parabolic antenna commo ...

(DTH) entertainment services in Dehradun include Videocon d2h,

DD Direct+ DD Free Dish (previously known as DD Direct Plus) is an Indian free-to-air satellite television provider. DD Free Dish DTH service is owned and operated by Public Service Broadcaster Prasar Bharati. It was launched in December, 2004. In March 2 ...

Dish TV Dish, dishes or DISH may refer to: Culinary * Dish (food), something prepared to be eaten * Dishware, plates and bowls for eating, cutting boards, silverware Communications * Dish antenna a type of antenna * Dish Network, a satellite televisio ...

Reliance Digital TV Independent TV, formerly Reliance Big TV, was an Indian direct to home (DTH) television operator. It was a subsidiary of Reliance Communications Reliance Communications Limited (RCOM) was an Indian mobile network provider headquartered in ...

Airtel digital TV Bharti Telemedia Limited, doing business as Airtel Digital TV, is an Indian direct-broadcast satellite service provider owned and operated by Bharti Airtel. Its satellite service, launched in October 2008, transmits digital satellite televisi ...

and

Tata Sky Tata Play (stylised as TΛTΛ PLΛY, formerly TΛTΛ , sky) is an Indian direct broadcast satellite (DTH) service provider using MPEG-4 digital compression technology, transmitting using INSAT-4A and GSAT-10 satellite. Incorporated in 2005; i ...

Sport

The high mountains and rivers of Uttarakhand attract many tourists and adventure seekers. It is also a favourite destination for adventure sports, such as

paragliding Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness or lies supine in a cocoon-like 'p ...

, sky diving, rafting and bungee jumping. The first indoor ice rink in India that meets the size requirements for ice hockey, figure skating, short track speed skating, short track and rink bandy was built in Dehradun. As in the rest of India, cricket is popular among city youth. Cricket Association of Uttarakhand, which regulates cricket in Uttarakhand, is also based in the city. The multi-purpose Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Dehradun, Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, which has a capacity of 20,000 as of 2016, is the first international level stadium in the state. It is home to the Uttarakhand cricket team and second home to the Afghanistan cricket team. A Mega Sports Complex is situated in the Raipur, Uttarakhand, Raipur area of Dehradun. In sports tourism, the Doon Ice Rink at Maharana Pratap Sports Complex, Raipur is the first full-sized ice arena in India. It has hosted Ice skating in India, ice skating competitions and Ice hockey in India, ice hockey tournaments, including the IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia. Since, the formation of the state in 2000, the state suffered a blow to its sports facilities as

had the entire infrastructure for sports.

had hosted very few matches of Ranji Trophy. Due to lack of infrastructure, players started moving to different states. In November 2012, List of Chief Ministers of Uttarakhand, Former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Vijay Bahuguna laid the foundation of the stadium hoped that the stadium would bring Dehradun on the international cricket map. On 16 December 2016, Chief Minister Harish Rawat inaugurated the stadium along with Rajeev Shukla (the Indian Premier League, IPL chairperson). The stadium has a seating capacity of 25,000 people, along with floodlights facility for conducting day-night matches. The stadium is built on a 23-acre site and was selected as the second home ground for the Afghanistan cricket team in India. Some other cricket grounds are: * Doon School Ground * RIMC Cricket Ground * Abhimanyu Cricket Academy Ground * MPSC Cricket Ground * Rangers College Cricket Ground * Survey of India Cricket Ground * Doon Cricket Academy Ground * Tanush Cricket Academy Ground

Architecture

After Dehradun was made the capital of Uttarakhand, there was a construction boom, especially in residential properties. Modern buildings have gradually supplanted older architectural styles including those related to the British colonial rule of India. Important older buildings still upstanding include the Clock Tower, Forest Research Institute, CNI College, Morrison Memorial Church, Inamullah Building, Jama Masjid, Osho Meditation Centre,

and Darbar Sahib.

In popular culture

George Harrison of the Beatles wrote a song called "Dehra Dun" during the group's The Beatles in India, stay in Rishikesh in early 1968. The song remained unreleased until its appearance on the super deluxe edition of Harrison's album ''All Things Must Pass'' in 2021.

Notable people

*Amardeep Jha (Indian film actress) *Anirudh Dave (Indian television actor) *Anirudh Agarwal (Actor) *Ali Abbas Zafar (Indian film director) *Archana Puran Singh (Indian television presenter) *Asha Negi (Indian television actress) *Bobby Cash (Country music artist) *Surendra Pal Joshi (Indian artist) *Deepa Sahi (Indian actress) *Deepak Dobriyal (Indian film actor) *Hemant Pandey (Film actor) *Dehra Parker (long-serving Ulster Unionist Party, Ulster Unionist member of the Parliament of Northern Ireland) *Himani Shivpuri (Indian actress) *Jubin Nautiyal (Indian singer) *K. N. Singh (Character actor) *Madhurima Tuli (Indian actress) *Monisha Kaltenborn (Former Team Principal and CEO of the Sauber Formula One team, the first female Team Principal in Formula One history) *Nirmal Pandey (Indian actor) *Nitin Sahrawat (Actor, environmentalist) *Raghav Juyal (Indian dancer) *Rrahul Sudhir ( Indian television actor ) *Saira Banu (Indian film actress) *Shivangi Joshi (Indian television actress) *Shraddha Sharma (Indian singer) *Sonam Bisht ( Indian television actress) *Sudhanshu Pandey (Indian model) *Tom Alter (Indian actor) *Udita Goswami (Indian actress) *Vikas Gupta (Producer and Bigg Boss contestant) *Vir Das (Indian actor) *

(Indian football player) *Lokesh Ohri (anthropologist and heritage activist) *Vikram Singh Chauhan (Indian television actor)

References

{{Uttarakhand Dehradun, Dehradun district Places in the Ramayana Cities in Uttarakhand Smart cities in India Populated places established in the 1670s 1670s establishments in Asia