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Dehradun, one of the most important towns of the
state of Uttar Pradesh, located at an altitude of 700 m, serves as the gateway
to Mussoorie. The town lies in the Dun Valley, on the watershed of the Ganga and
Yamuna rivers. It derived its name from the camp ( 'Dehra' means camp ) of Ram
Rai, the son of Hari Rai, the 7th Sikh guru. Apparently, Ram Rai was not made
guru after his father, and consequently, disputed the decision. Defeated, he
came to Dun Valley, where he was accorded a warm welcome by the Garhwal Raja. In
the latter half of the 17th century, Ram Rai established a gurudwara in the
Jhanda Mohalla area, which still draws hordes of devotees.
During the British Raj, Dehradun was the summer
base of the Viceroy's Bodyguard, and transformed into an educational centre and
military cantonment. At present, it is also the base of the Indian Military
Academy. Dehradun also boasts of the Forest Research Institute,
dating back to the British Raj period, and the Wildlife Institute of India.
GENERAL INFORMATION
- Area: 37.17 sq. km
- Population: 270,159
- Altitude: 695 meters
- Languages Spoken: Hindi and English
- Best Time to Visit: November-December and
April-July
- STD Code: 0135
PLACES TO VISIT
| ● Tepkeshwar Temple |
● Robber's Cave (Guchhupani) |
| ● Malsi Deer Park |
● Forest Reasearch Institute |
| ● Kalanga Monument |
● TAPOVAN |
| ● Laxaman Siddh |
● SANTAULA DEVI TEMPLE |
| ● Chandrabani |
● BHAGIRATH RESORT |
| ● Sai Darbar |
● WADIA INSTITUTE |
HOW TO GET THERE?
By Air :
The nearest airport is at Jolly Grant, 25 kms away, on the outskirts of the
town, that has daily flights to Delhi.
By Rail :
Dehradun is a major railhead on the Northern Railway line with direct trains to
Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Varanasi and Lucknow.
By Road :
UP Roadways operates regular bus trips from Simla, Haridwar and Delhi to
Dehradun.
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