Dehradun (), also known as Dehra Doon, is the winter capital and the most populous city of the

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

n state of

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand (, ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2007), is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. The state is bordered by Himachal Pradesh to the n ...

. 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, municip ...

and is governed by the

Dehradun Municipal Corporation The Dehradun Municipal Corporation is the civic or urban local body that governs the city of Dehradun in Uttarakhand, India. It is essentially the city government and differs from the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority, MDDA (Mussoorie ...

, 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 and union territories of India, states of India. It is seated at Dehradun, the w ...

holding its winter sessions in the city as its winter capital. Part of the Garhwal region, and housing the headquarters of its Divisional Commissioner, Dehradun is one of the " Counter Magnets" of the National Capital Region (NCR) being developed as an alternative centre 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, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

metropolitan area and to establish a

smart city A smart city is an urban area that uses digital technology to collect data and operate services. Data is collected from citizens, devices, buildings, or cameras. Applications include traffic and transportation systems, power plants, utilities ...

in the Himalayas. 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 winter capital of Uttar ...

on the foothills of 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 Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...

nestled between Song River, a tributary of

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 which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary rive ...

on the east and the Asan River, a tributary of

Yamuna The Yamuna (; ) 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 Bandarpunch peaks of the Low ...

on the west. The city is noted for its picturesque landscape 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 forest service training institute under the Ministry of Environment and Forests of India, which was originally called as Indian Forest College, established in 1938 for training of senior fores ...

the Doon School The Doon School (informally Doon School or Doon) is a Selective school, selective all-boys Private school, private boarding school in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India, which was established in 1935. It was envisioned by Satish Ranjan Das, a lawyer ...

Welham Boys School Welham Boys' School (informally Welham Boys' or Welham) is an all-boys private boarding school in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India, established in 1937 by Hersilia Susie Oliphant, an English educationist. The school is affiliated with CBSE and has ...

, Welham Girls School, 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 situated in Doon Valley, Dehradun in India. The RIMC is a feeder institution for the Nation ...

, Uttarakhand Ayurveda University, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology and the

Indian Institute of Remote Sensing The Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS) was established in the year 1966 under the Indian Department of Space at Dehradun, Uttarakhand. The institute was set up for research, higher education and training in the fields 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'' () is an Indian Hindi-language daily newspaper. In terms of circulation, it was ranked 5th in the world in 2016 and 1st in India in 2022. In 2019 Quarter 4, according to Indian Readership Survey, Dainik Jagran reported a to ...

and

KPMG KPMG is a multinational professional services network, based in London, United Kingdom. As one of the Big Four accounting firms, along with Ernst & Young (EY), Deloitte, and PwC. KPMG is a network of firms in 145 countries with 275,288 emplo ...

, 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 originates from the Indian subcontinent, mainly in the regions of Nepal, Punjab, Haryana, Sindh and many other states and provinces of India and Pakistan.Garhwal rulers, which was first captured by Gorkha Kings, in January 1804, and then 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 armed forces, military forces of the India, Republic of India. It consists of three professional uniformed services: the Indian Army, the Indian Navy, and the Indian Air Force.—— Additionally, the Indian Ar ...

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. It was formed in 2000. Uttarakhand Police Constable Notification 2024: The Uttarakhand Subordinate Selection Commission (UKSSSC) has published an offi ...

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

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 the summer capital of British India. After independence, the city ...

Mussoorie Mussoorie () is a hill station and a municipal board, in 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 hil ...

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 Himalaya, Garhwal Himalayan range located from New Tehri, the district ...

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 River, Tons and Yamuna rivers, at an elevation of 2118 m, 98 km from the state capital, Dehrad ...

New Tehri New Tehri is where Vidushi lives a city and a municipal board in Tehri Garhwal District in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of Tehri Garhwal District. This urban municipality area has 11 wards, from Vidh ...

Uttarkashi Uttarkashi is a town and the headquarters of Uttarkashi district in Uttarakhand, India. Geography Uttarkashi is located at . It has an average elevation of . Demographics India census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is t ...

Harsil Harsil 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 at an altitude of 9,005& ...

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 dista ...

Tungnath Tungnath Temple (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 ...

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

Kedarkantha Kedarkantha is a mountain peak of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand, India. Its elevation is . Kedarkantha is located within Govind Pashu Vihar National Park and Sanctuary, Govind Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttarkashi district. Flora and fauna The fo ...

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

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

holy cities of

Haridwar Haridwar (; ; formerly Mayapuri) 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 s ...

and

Rishikesh Rishikesh, also spelt as Hrishikesh, is a city near Dehradun in the Indian state Uttarakhand. The northern part of Rishikesh is in the Dehradun district while the southern part is in the Tehri Garhwal district. It is situated on the right bank ...

, along with the Himalayan pilgrimage circuit of

Chota Char Dham The Chota Char Dham ( 'the small four abodes/seats' or 'the small circuit of four abodes/seats') is an important modern Hindu pilgrimage circuit in Uttarakhand, in the Indian Himalayas. Located in the Garhwal region of the state of Uttarak ...

, viz.

Yamunotri Yamunotri, also Jamnotri, is the source of the Yamuna River and the seat of the Goddess Yamuna in Hinduism. It is situated at an altitude of in the Garhwal Himalayas and located approximately North of Uttarkashi, the headquarters of the Utta ...

Gangotri Gangotri is a town and a ''Nagar Panchayat'' (municipality) in Uttarkashi district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is 99 km from Uttarkashi, the main district headquarter. It is a Hindu pilgrim town on the banks of the river Bha ...

Kedarnath Kedarnath is a town and Nagar Panchayat in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, India, known primarily for the Kedarnath Temple. It is approximately 86.5 kilometres from Rudraprayag, the district headquarters. Kedarnath is the most remote ...

and

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

, 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 Prakrit ( ) is a group of vernacular classical Middle Indo-Aryan languages that were used in the Indian subcontinent from around the 5th century BCE to the 12th century CE. The term Prakrit is usually applied to the middle period of Middle Ind ...

"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

Ram Rai Ram Rai (Gurmukhi: ਰਾਮ ਰਾਏ; ''rāma rā'ē''; 1645–1687) was the excommunicated eldest son of the seventh Sikh gurus, Sikh Guru, Guru Har Rai, and the founder of the Ramraiyas, an unorthodox and heretical sect in Sikhism. Biograp ...

, the son of the seventh

Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...

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 Alamgir I (Muhi al-Din Muhammad; 3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707), commonly known by the title Aurangzeb, also called Aurangzeb the Conqueror, was the sixth Mughal emperors, Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until his death in 1707, becomi ...

in Delhi. Aurangzeb objected to a verse in the Sikh scripture (''Asa ki Var'') that stated, "the clay from a Musalman(Muslim)'s grave is kneaded into potter's lump", considering it an insult to Islam. 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 This led Guru Har Rai to bar his son from his presence, and name his younger son as his successor. Aurangzeb responded by granting Ram Rai a

jagir A jagir (), ( Hindustani: जागीर/جاگیر, ''Jāgīr''), ( Marathi: जहागीर, ''Jahāgīrá'') also spelled as jageer, was a type of feudal land grant in the Indian subcontinent at the foundation of its Jagirdar ( Zamindar ...

(land grant) in Garhwal region (

). The town later came to be known as Dehradun, after ''Dehra'' referring to Ram Rai's shrine. Many followers of Ram Rai, called Ramraiyas, settled with Ram Rai. During the days of

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

, 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 '' Mukhyapurāṇa'', a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts. The text contains over 81,000 verses, and is of Shaivite literature, titled after Skanda, a son of Shiva and Parv ...

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

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

. According to Hindu mythology, in ancient India during the

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...

epic era,

Dronacharya Droṇa (, ), also referred to as Dronacharya (, ), is a major character of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he serves as the royal preceptor of the Kauravas and the Pandavas. He is one of the primary counsellors and warriors featured i ...

, 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 ...

and

Pandavas The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, aɳɖɐʋᵊ IAST: Pāṇḍava) is a group name referring to the five legendary brothers, Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, who are central figures of the Hindu epic ''Mahabhara ...

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

Drona Droṇa (, ), also referred to as Dronacharya (, ), is a major character of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he serves as the royal preceptor of the Kauravas and the Pandavas. He is one of the primary counsellors and warriors featured ...

'').

History

The history of the city of

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

Ramayana The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...

and

. It is believed that after the battle between

Ravana According to the Mahakavya, Hindu epic, ''Ramayana'', Ravana was a kingJustin W. Henry, ''Ravana's Kingdom: The Ramayana and Sri Lankan History from Below'', Oxford University Press, p.3 of the island of Lanka, in which he is the chief antag ...

and Rama, Rama and his brother

Lakshmana Lakshmana (, ), also known as Laxmana, Lakhan, Saumitra, and Ramanuja, is the younger brother of Rama in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is considered as an incarnation of Shesha, the lord of serpents. Lakshmana was married to Urmila, and i ...

visited this site. Also, known as 'Dronanagari' on the name of

, legendary Royal guru to the

and

in the epic Mahabharata, is believed to have been born and resided in Dehradun. Evidence 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 Hastinapur is a city in the Meerut district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Uttar Pradesh. ''Hastinapura'' is described as the capital of the Kuru Kingdom in Hindu texts such as the ''Mahabharata'' and the Puranas; it is ...

with the descendants of

Subahu Subahu () was a rakshasa featured in the Hindu epic Ramayana. Story Subahu was the son of Shambara, a demon slayed by Indra. Subahu, Maricha and Maricha's mother, Tataka, took immense pleasure in harassing the munis of the jungle, especial ...

ruled the region as subsidiaries. Likewise,

is mentioned in the pages of history when

Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

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 traveller

Huen Tsang Xuanzang (; ; 6 April 6025 February 664), born Chen Hui or Chen Yi (), also known by his Sanskrit Dharma name Mokṣadeva, was a 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveller, and translator. He is known for the epoch-making contribu ...

. Sudhanagara later came to be recognised 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 ruled most of the Indian subcontinent from 268 BCE to 2 ...

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 neighbouring region of Haripur, ruins were discovered from the time of King Rasala which also reflect the region's prosperity. It was under control of Garhwal for many centuries. Fateh Shah, a Garhwal king, donated three villages in Dehradun to Sikh guru Ram Rai. 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. 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 Alamgir I (Muhi al-Din Muhammad; 3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707), commonly known by the title Aurangzeb, also called Aurangzeb the Conqueror, was the sixth Mughal emperors, Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until his death in 1707, becomi ...

was highly impressed by the miraculous powers of charismatic Ram Rai. He asked the contemporary Maharaja of Garhwal,

Fateh Shah Fateh Shah was the Hindu Rajput king of Garhwal, a small kingdom in North India, from 1684 to 1716. Campaigns H. G. Walton states that Fateh Shah led an attack from Dehradun on Saharanpur in 1692. Pundirs and Gurjars were expelled out of Dehr ...

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 South Asian style of painting on paper made in to miniatures either as book illustrations or as single works to be kept in albums ( muraqqa), originating from the territory of the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent. It ...

. 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 Abu al-Qasim Mahmud ibn Sabuktigin (; 2 November 971 – 30 April 1030), usually known as Mahmud of Ghazni or Mahmud Ghaznavi (), was Sultan of the Ghaznavid Empire, ruling from 998 to 1030. During his reign and in medieval sources, he is usuall ...

during his campaigns into India followed by

Timur Timur, also known as Tamerlane (1320s17/18 February 1405), was a Turco-Mongol conqueror who founded the Timurid Empire in and around modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia, becoming the first ruler of the Timurid dynasty. An undefeat ...

in 1368, Rohilla chief

Najib ad-Dawlah Najib ad-Dawlah (), also known as (), was an Afghan Yousafzai Rohilla who earlier served as a Mughal serviceman but later deserted the cause of the Mughals and joined Ahmad Shah Abdali in 1757 in his attack on Delhi. He was also a House C ...

in 1757 and Ghulam Qadir in 1785. In 1804 battles of Khurbura at Dehradun fought between Garhwal king Pradyuman shah and Gorakhali forces led by General Amar Singh thapa in which king Pradyuman shah died and came under control of Gorakha. In 1806 the Nepalese Commander '' Kaji''

Amar Singh Thapa Amar Singh Thapa distinguished as Badakaji Amar Singh Thapa(), or Amar Singh Thapa The Elder, (also spelled Ambar Simha) also known by the honorific name Bada Kaji ("Senior Kaji") or Budha Kaji ("The Old Kaji"), was a Gorkha Kingdom, Gorkhali mil ...

under the central leadership of Prime Minister

Mukhtiyar Mukhtiyar () was the position of head of government, 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 ''Mukhtiyar'' is for ...

Bhimsen Thapa Bhimsen Thapa ( (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 List of Prime Ministers of Nepal, l ...

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

Almora Almora ( Kumaoni: ') is a municipal corporation 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 the ...

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

, Kumaon,

Garhwal Garhwal may refer to the following topics associated with Uttarakhand, India: Places *Garhwal Himalaya, a sub-range of the Himalayas *Garhwal Kingdom, a former kingdom *Garhwal District (British Garhwal), a former district of British India * Ga ...

Sirmur Sirmur (also spelled as Sirmor, Sirmaur, Sirmour, or Sirmoor) was a princely state of India, located in the region that is now the Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh. The state was also known as Nahan, after its main city, Nahan. The state ...

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

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; Sanskrit: ''himācāl prādes;'' "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a States and union territories of India, state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen Indian Himalayan ...

up to

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

and on the eastern front the state of

Sikkim Sikkim ( ; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Koshi Province of Nepal in the west, and West Bengal in the ...

up to

Darjeeling Darjeeling (, , ) is a city in the northernmost region of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it has an average elevation of . To the west of Darjeeling lies the Koshi Pr ...

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 that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

went to

war War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...

from 1814 to 1816. The war ended with the signing of the

Treaty of Sugauli The Treaty of Sugauli (also spelled Sugowlee, Sagauli and Segqulee), the treaty that established the boundary line of Nepal, was signed on 4 March 1816 between the East India Company and Guru Gajraj Mishra following the Anglo-Nepalese War of ...

where almost a third was ceded to British East India company. The British got Dehradun in 1816 and colonised

Landour Landour, a small cantonment town contiguous with Mussoorie, is about from the city of Dehradun in Dehradun district in the northern state of Uttarakhand in India. The twin towns of Mussoorie and Landour, together, are a well-known British Raj-e ...

and

in 1827–1828. Capt john

Jawaharlal Nehru Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat, and statesman who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20th century. Nehru was a pr ...

, 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 and freedom fighter who fought against the British Empire. He was one of the key organisers of the Ghadar Mutiny and founded the Indian Independence Lea ...

, who was one of the key organisers of the

Ghadar conspiracy The Ghadar Mutiny, also known as the Ghadar Conspiracy, was a plan to initiate a pan-India mutiny in the British Indian Army in February 1915 to end the British Raj in India. The plot originated at the onset of World War I, between the Ghadar Pa ...

and, later, the

Indian National Army The Indian National Army (INA, sometimes Second INA; ''Azad Hind Fauj'' ; 'Free Indian Army') was a Empire of Japan, Japanese-allied and -supported armed force constituted in Southeast Asia during World War II and led by Indian Nationalism#An ...

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

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

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

. In 2000, Uttarakhand state (earlier called Uttaranchal) was created from the northwestern districts of Uttar Pradesh under the

Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000 Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted in 2000 for creation of the state of Uttarakhand, then tentatively named Uttaranchal, out of Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union ...

. 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 () 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 dispute between emir Dost Mohammad Khan ( Bara ...

, after which the Afghan Emir

Dost Mohammad Khan Dost Mohammad Khan Barakzai (Pashto/; 23 December 1792 – 8 June 1863), nicknamed the Amir-i Kabir, was the founder of the Barakzai dynasty and one of the prominent rulers of Afghanistan during the First Anglo-Afghan War. With the decline of ...

was exiled by the British to Dehradun. 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 originates from the Indian subcontinent, mainly in the regions of Nepal, Punjab, Haryana, Sindh and many other states and provinces of India and Pakistan.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- ...

in Afghanistan and it continues to be counted as a delicacy of the valley. According to Dehradun historian and heritage activist Lokesh Ohri, "Dost Mohammad Khan was fond of pulao and missed it during his exile. He brought Basmati to the Doon valley and is credited with improving its genetic variety. His grandson Yaqub Khan gave Basmati seeds to a Paltan Bazaar trader and asked him to cultivate them in Dehradun. Surprisingly, the Doon valley's weather suited the rice and it turned out even better than the variety in Afghanistan." Forty years later, after the

Second Anglo-Afghan War The Second Anglo-Afghan War (Dari: جنگ دوم افغان و انگلیس, ) was a military conflict fought between the British Raj and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the latter was ruled by Sher Ali Khan of the Barakzai dy ...

, 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 a Pashtun and the son of the previous ruler, Sher Ali Khan. Mohammad Yaqub Khan was appointed as the governor of He ...

, 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 The Emir of Afghanistan or also later the King of Afghanistan was the monarch and head of state of Afghanistan from the establishment of the Emirate of Afghanistan, Emirate in the 18th century until the monarchy was abolished in 1973. The title ...

Mohammed Nadir Shah Mohammad Nadir Shah (Pashto/Dari: محمد نادر شاه April 1883 – 8 November 1933) was King of Afghanistan from 15 October 1929 until his assassination in November 1933. He became the king after his victory in the Afghan Civil War of ...

. 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 Wynberg-Allen School is a boarding school in India, founded in 1888. It is located at Bala hissar in Mussoorie, India. The alumni of Wynberg Allen School are known as Alwynians. History From a meeting in Kanpur in 1887 of friends, Mr. Powel ...

. 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 servants quarter." Today the descendants of the former royalty, Yakub Khan and his grandson Sardar Azim Khan's family have integrated with the mainstream of Dehradun 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 former politician and economist who served as the president of Afghanistan from September 2014 until August 2021, when his government was 2021 Taliban offensive, overthrown by the Ta ...

, former

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 and Commander-in-Chief of the Afghan Armed Forces. Eligibility and selection process A ...

has mentioned that his grandmother grew up in Dehra Dun. "I speak of

Tagore Rabindranath Thakur (; anglicised as Rabindranath Tagore ; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengalis, Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer, and painter of the Bengal Renai ...

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. Dehradun is also being selected to be the second "home" ground of the Afghan cricket team. 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 Clement Town is a cantonment town in Dehradun, Dehradun district, in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Clement Town is from the clock tower in main city of Dehradun. Saharanpur and Haridwar are respectively. It also borders Rajaji Nationa ...

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 winter capital of Uttar ...

contains the settlements including Raiwala,

Doiwala Doiwala is a town and a Nagar Palika in Dehradun district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. History Geography Doiwala is located at . It has an average elevation of 485 metres (1,591 feet) above sea level. The place comes under Do ...

, Harrawala, Dehradun,

Herbertpur Herbertpur is a town and a nagar panchayat in Dehradun district Pachhhwadoon in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Geography Herbertpur is located on the bank of river Asan and the name of the place is on the name of Sir Herbert (British) the old ...

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 a national park and tiger reserve in the Haridwar, Dehradun and Pauri Garhwal districts of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It encompasses an area of in the Sivalik Hills. In 1983, three wildlife sanctuaries in th ...

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

Asan Barrage The Asan Barrage is a barrage (dam), 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 ...

). The Doon Valley has the

Terai The Terai or Tarai is a lowland region in parts of southern Nepal and northern India that lies to the south of the outer foothills of the Himalayas, the Sivalik Hills and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. This lowland belt is characterised by ...

and

Bhabar Bhabar or Bhabhar is a region south of the Lower Himalayas and the Sivalik Hills in Garhwal and Kumaon, India. The Bhabhar region contains some of the largest cities of Kumaon and Garhwal: Dehradun, Haridwar, Haldwani, Rishikesh, Ramnagar ...

forests within it as well as the

Shivalik hills The Sivalik Hills, also known as Churia Hills, are a mountain range of the outer Himalayas. The literal translation of "Sivalik" is 'tresses of Shiva'. The hills are known for their numerous fossils, and are also home to the Soanian Middle Paleo ...

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 Churia Hills, are a mountain range of the outer Himalayas. The literal translation of "Sivalik" is 'tresses of Shiva'. The hills are known for their numerous fossils, and are also home to the Soanian Middle Pale ...

to the south, the river

to the east, and the

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

Chandrabani Chandrabani is a village in the suburb of Dehradun, Dehradun District, Uttarakhand, India. It is located near the state boundary with Uttar Pradesh, approximately 6 kilometres southwest of the urban center of Dehradun Dehradun (), also known ...

, 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 and northwest of the city of Dehradun Dehradun (), also known as Dehra ...

. 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 surrounded by Rudrap ...

, in the east and southeast by

Pauri Garhwal Pauri Garhwal is a 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 region of which it is ...

and

river, in the west, it is bordered by

and

Sirmaur Sirmaur may refer to the following in India: * Sirmaur district, a district in Himachal Pradesh ** Sirmauri language, a Western Pahari (Indo-Aryan) language spoken in the district * Sirmur State Sirmur (also spelled as Sirmor, Sirmaur, Sir ...

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 factories. It provides timber to larger industries. The older town is ...

district of

Haryana Haryana () is a States and union territories of India, state located in the northern part of India. It was carved out after the linguistic reorganisation of Punjab, India, Punjab on 1 November 1966. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with les ...

and the Tons and

rivers. To the south are

and

Saharanpur district Saharanpur district is the northernmost of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state, India. Bordering the states of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and close to the foothills of Shivalik range, it lies in the northern part of the Doab ...

. 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 but after Dehradun became the state capital in 2000, most of the heritage canals were covered or demolished to widen the city roads. Within 15 years after becoming state capital, almost all of the canal system across Dehradun city has been demolished or covered. Outskirts of dehradun and around lacchiwala, Maldevta. etc still have a few canal systems uncoverd. Environmental groups have campaigned for the revival of the network, citing its benefit for the city's

ecology Ecology () is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms and their Natural environment, environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community (ecology), community, ecosystem, and biosphere lev ...

, 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 ac ...

Climate

The climate of Dehradun is

humid subtropical A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between la ...

(Cwa). 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 in rare cases, 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 . 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 Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annu ...

season, there is often heavy and protracted rainfall. Agriculture benefits from fertile alluvial soil, adequate drainage and plentiful rain. Dehradun has been ranked 37th best “National Clean Air City” under (Category 2 3-10L Population cities) in India.

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 females per 1000 males and child sex ratio of 873 girls per 1000 boys, lower than the national average. The number of children of age under six in Dehradun city was 80,180 as per figure from Census India report on 2011. There are 50,600 boys and 28,580 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 Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

, the official state language, is the primary language in Dehradun. Native regional languages include Garhwali, Jaunsari and Kumaoni. Other major languages are

Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabis, Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a ...

, Nepali,

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 speak ...

. 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 Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

is majority religion in Dehradun city with 82.53% followers.

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

is the second most practised religion in the city with approximately 11.75% following it.

Sikhism Sikhism is an Indian religion and Indian philosophy, philosophy that originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent around the end of the 15th century CE. It is one of the most recently founded major religious groups, major religio ...

by 3.5%,

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

is followed by 1.06%,

Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion whose three main pillars are nonviolence (), asceticism (), and a rejection of all simplistic and one-sided views of truth and reality (). Jainism traces its s ...

by 0.63%, and

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

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, also known as the Vidhan Sabha or the Saasana Sabha, is a legislative body in each of the states and certain union territories of India. Members of the legislative assembly are often directly elected to serve fiv ...

(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 Ashiana *Rashtrapati Bhavan *Rashtrapati Nilayam Rashtrapati Nilaya ...

(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 A Divisional Commissioner, also known as Commissioner of division, is an Indian Administrative Service officer who serves as the administrator of a division of a state in India. The post is referred to as regional commissioner in Karnataka ...

of Dehradun, who is an

Indian Administrative Service The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is the Public administration, administrative arm of the All India Services of Government of India. The IAS is one of the three All India Services along with the Indian Police Service (IPS) and the Indian ...

(IAS) officer of high seniority. The district magistrate and collector of Dehradun report to the

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, and Garhwal represented by BJP's

Tirath Singh Rawat Tirath Singh Rawat (born 9 April 1964) is an Indian politician, a former 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

, 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 corporation, 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 responsibilitie ...

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

is directly elected for a period of five years and as of January 2025 is Saurabh Thapliyal from BJP. The municipal commissioner is the executive head of the local government institutions (the

municipal corporation 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 o ...

) 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 A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a business entity created or owned by a national or local government, either through an executive order or legislation. SOEs aim to generate profit for the government, prevent private sector monopolies, provide goo ...

like the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (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, 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 Territori ...

(SP City) who reports to the

senior superintendent of police Senior superintendent, also police senior superintendent or senior superintendent of police, is a senior rank in police forces used in Brunei, Estonia, Germany, South Korea, Hong Kong, India, Lesotho, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and formerly in ...

(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 centralised 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 decentralised 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 Sanchar Nigam Limited (commonly known as BSNL) () is an Indian Public Sector Undertakings in India, central public sector undertaking, under the ownership of Department of Telecommunications, which is part of the Ministry of Communicatio ...

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

Vodafone Vodafone Group Public Limited Company () is a British Multinational company, multinational telecommunications company. Its registered office and global headquarters are in Newbury, Berkshire, England. It predominantly operates Service (economic ...

Bharti Airtel Bharti Airtel Limited is an Indian Multinational corporation, multinational Telecommunications in India, telecommunications company based in New Delhi. It operates in 18 countries across South Asia and Africa, as well as the Channel Islands. ...

, Reliance,

Idea Cellular Idea Cellular was an Indian telecommunications company based at Mumbai, Maharashtra. It was an integrated GSM operator and had 220.00 million subscribers as of June 2018. In 2018 Idea Cellular merged with Vodafone India into Vodafone ...

, and

Tata Teleservices Tata Teleservices Limited along with its subsidiary Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited is an Indian internet services provider and IT services company headquartered in Mumbai, India. It is listed on BSE and NSE in India. History On 13 ...

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 2013 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 centres in the Dehradun are plagued by non-functioning equipment in the operating theatre and the insufficient number of labour rooms. Hospitals in the city include the Doon Hospital, Max Super Speciality 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 academic qualification awarded by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, a private, non-governmental board of education in India. The CISCE conducts these examinati ...

(ICSE) or

CISCE The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) is a non-governmental privately held national-level board of school education in India that conducts the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) Examination for Clas ...

; except for the government schools, which are run directly by the

Uttarakhand Board of School Education Uttarakhand Board of School Education () abbr. UBSE is an agency of Government of Uttarakhand entrusted with the responsibilities of prescribing courses of instructions and text books and conducting examinations for secondary school students i ...

and follow the syllabus prescribed by the

state government A state government is the government that controls a subdivision of a country in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonom ...

. 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. Dehradun is known as "a town of schools". Notable private educational institutions in Dehradun include The Asian School, Cambrian Hall,

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 Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CICSE) board of education. Many ...

Convent of Jesus and Mary The Convent of Jesus and Mary ("CJM") is a network of Roman Catholic schools founded by the Congregation of the Religious of Jesus and Mary. The school network originating in east-central France in the 19th century has since its inception expan ...

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

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 to pro ...

, Marshall School,

SelaQui International School SelaQui International School is a coeducational, residential school located in the village of Selaqui in the Dehradun district of Uttarakhand. It is about 20 km from Dehradun on national highway 72, connecting Dehradun with Paonta Sahib and ...

St Joseph's Academy, Dehradun St. Joseph's Academy, Dehradun (SJA) is a co-educational Indian Certificate of Secondary Education school in Dehradun, the capital of the state of Uttarakhand in India. Founded in 1934, the school is governed by the Society of the Brothers of ...

, St. Thomas' College,

and Welham Girls School,

Indian Army Public Schools Indian Army Public Schools (APS) are chain of educational institutions under regional commands of Indian Army established for the purpose of providing education to the children of Indian armed forces personnel. With a nationwide presence spannin ...

. 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 The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan () is a system of Government of India, central government schools in India. Governed by the Ministry of Education (India), Ministry of Education, Government of India. , it has a total of 1,257 schools in India, ...

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 Doon University () is a state public university located in Dehradun in the north Indian state of Uttarakhand. History The university was founded by order of the Government of Uttarakhand in October 2005. Its first courses started in July 200 ...

, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun Institute of Technology (DIT),

, Indian Institute of Petroleum, Himgiri Zee University,

Navdanya Navdhānya or Navadhaniyam refers to nine food grains namely wheat, paddy, pigeon pea, hyacinth bean, chickpea, mung bean, sesame, black gram and horse gram. Navdhānya means "nine grains" in several Indian languages and form an essential part ...

Wildlife Institute of India The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) is an autonomous natural resource service institution established in 1982 under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate change, Government of Indi ...

Instruments Research and Development Establishment The Instruments Research & Development Establishment (IRDE) is a laboratory of the Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO). Located in Dehradun, its primary function is research and development in the field of optical and electro-o ...

and Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology. Universities located in Dehradun are Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Uttarakhand Medical Education University, Sardar Bhagwan Singh University,

Uttaranchal University Uttaranchal University is an academic cum research university located at Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India near Indian Military Academy. It was established by an Act of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly under Smt Shushila Devi education foundati ...

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

University of Petroleum and Energy Studies A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Univ ...

Swami Rama Himalayan University Swami Rama Himalayan University (SRHU) is a private university about 25 kilometers southeast of Dehradun city and in close vicinity of Jolly Grant Airport, in the north Indian state of Uttarakhand. The university is named after Indian yogi S ...

Graphic Era University Graphic Era University (formerly known as Graphic Era Institute of Technology) is an Indian private graphic university located in Clement Town, Dehradun, Uttarakhand. It was founded by Dr. Kamal Ghanshala in 1993. In 2008, the institution was ...

and Uttarakhand Technical University. 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).

(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 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 Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Uttarakhand Medical Education University and Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences affiliated to

. These three medical colleges caters to the population of Dehradun and nearby hilly areas. 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 ( , ) is a Tactile alphabet, tactile writing system used by blindness, blind or visually impaired people. It can be read either on embossed paper or by using refreshable braille displays that connect to computers and smartphone device ...

script in the country which provides education and service to the blind children. Dehradun houses organisations 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 Rajiv Gandhi (20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991) was an Indian statesman and pilot who served as the prime minister of India from 1984 to 1989. He took office after the Assassination of Indira Gandhi, assassination of his mother, then–prime ...

, scientists Manju Bansal and

Chandramukhi Basu Chandramukhi Basu (1860 – 3 February 1944), a Bengali from Dehradun, which was located in the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh), was one of the first two female graduates of the British India. In 1882, along with Kadambini Ganguly, she pass ...

, writer

William McKay Aitken William McKay Aitken (31 May 1934 – 16 April 2025) was a British-born Indian travel writer and mountain enthusiast. He was the author of a number of books about India, its mountains, rivers and its steam trains. Life and career Aitken was b ...

, poet

Kanwal Ziai Kanwal Ziai (born Hardayal Singh Datta) (15 March 1927 – 27 October 2011) was an Urdu and Hindi language poet and author from India. Early life Ziai was born on 15 March 1927 in Kanjrur Dattan, Sialkot, (now Pakistan). He received award ''Doo ...

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

-British

botanist Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

Dietrich Brandis Sir Dietrich Brandis (31 March 1824 – 28 May 1907) was a German-British botanist and forestry academic and administrator, who worked with the British Imperial Forestry Service in colonial India for nearly 30 years. He joined the British civi ...

, footballer

Anirudh Thapa Anirudh Thapa (born 15 January 1998) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Indian Super League club Mohun Bagan. Club career Early life and youth career Thapa was born in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, where he started ...

, and DICCI member Rajesh Saraiya.

Economy

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 Dehradun (), also known as Dehra Doon, is the winter capital and the List of cities ...

(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 Limited (ONGC) is an Indian central public sector undertaking which is the largest government-owned oil and gas explorer and producer in the country. It accounts for around 70 percent of India's domestic pro ...

(Keshav Dev Malviya Institute of Petroleum Exploration, Institute of Drilling Technology), Uttarakhand Space Applications Centre,

Survey of India The Survey of India is India's central engineering agency in charge of mapping and surveying.Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology,

Forest Survey of India Forest Survey of India (FSI), founded in June 1981 and headquartered at Dehradun in Uttarakhand, is the Government of India Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change organisation which conducts forest surveys, studies and researches ...

(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 MoEFCC, Government of India. Headquartered in Dehradun, its functions are to conduct forestry research; transfer the ...

(ICFRE),

, Forest Research Institute (FRI),

Army Cadet College The Army Cadet College (ACC) is an National security, defence service training institution, which trains defence service personnel for the Indian Army. It was established with the aim to train and induct deserving soldiers into the officer cadre. ...

and the

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

Ordnance Factories Board The Directorate of Ordnance (Coordination & Services) (abbreviated: DOO(C&S)) is an authority under the Department of Defence Production (DDP) of Ministry of Defence (MoD), Government of India. Its primary work is to management, give instructi ...

and

of the

Defence Research and Development Organisation The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is an agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development in the Ministry of Defence of the Government of India, charged with the military's research and development, head ...

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 Dehradun Airport , also known as Jolly Grant Airport, is a domestic airport serving Dehradun, the capital of Uttarakhand, India. It is located in Jauligrant, south of the city, from Rishikesh and from Haridwar. Commercial operations began ...

, also known as Jolly Grant Airport , which began its commercial operations in on 30 March 2008. It's from the city centre and lies in

. The nearest

international airport An international airport is an airport with customs and border control facilities enabling passengers to travel between countries. International airports are usually larger than domestic airports, and feature longer runways and have faciliti ...

is in

New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...

. Over 1,325,931 passengers passed through the airport in 2021–22, making it the 33rd 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 Chinyalisaur is a small town and tehsil headquarters in the Uttarkashi district of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Geography Chinyalisaur is a semi-urban settlement. It is named after a nearby village called Chinyali. 'Saur' is the Garhrwa ...

a town in Uttarkashi district and

Gauchar Gauchar ( Garhwali) is a hill town located in Karnaprayag tehsil subdistrict within Chamoli district of Uttarakhand state in India. Gauchar is situated on the left bank of river Alaknanda and is en route to the celebrated holy destination o ...

Railway

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

Northern Railways The Northern Railway (NR) is one of the 17 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, ...

(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 Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation Limited (IRSDC) was a special purpose vehicle owned by the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA), Ircon International and RITES. All three companies are owned by the Indian Ministry of Railways. ...

(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 The following highways are numbered 7. For roads numbered A7, see list of A7 roads. Route 7, or Highway 7, may refer to: International * AH7, Asian Highway 7 * European route E07 * European route E007 Afghanistan *Kunduz-Khomri Highway (A7) ...

, 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. There is NH 7 road which connects

Fazilka Fazilka, also known as Bangla, is a city and a municipal council in Fazilka district of Punjab, India. In 2011, it was made the headquarter of the newly created Fazilka district. The Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline (TAPI) project originating in T ...

Mana Mana may refer to: Religion and mythology * Mana (Oceanian cultures), the spiritual life force energy or healing power that permeates the universe in Melanesian and Polynesian mythology * Mana (food), archaic name for manna, an edible substance m ...

and on the same highway Shimla Bypass road is there too, which connects Dehradun to

via Poanta Sahib and

Nahan Nahan is a town located in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh and serves as the administrative headquarters of the Sirmaur district. It was formerly the capital of the princely state of Sirmur State, Sirmur. Nahan is also known as the "Tow ...

directly. The road density is high in the central part of the city around the bus stand and railway station. The

Uttarakhand Transport Corporation Uttarakhand Transport Corporation (UTC), commonly known as Uttarakhand Roadways, is the government-operated bus service for the state of Uttarakhand, India. UTC operates buses across Uttarakhand, connecting it with neighboring states such as H ...

(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, pu ...

passenger A passenger is a person who travels in a vehicle, but does not bear any responsibility for the tasks required for that vehicle to arrive at its destination or otherwise operate the vehicle, and is not a steward. The vehicles may be bicycles, ...

road transport Road transport or road transportation is a type of transport using roads. Transport on roads can be roughly grouped into the transportation of goods and transportation of people. In many countries licensing requirements and safety regulations e ...

corporation A corporation or body corporate is an individual or a group of people, such as an association or company, that has been authorized by the State (polity), state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law as ...

is a major constituent of the transport system in Uttarakhand operates intracity and intercity

bus service Public transport bus services are generally based on regular operation of transit buses along a route calling at agreed bus stops according to a published public transport timetable. History of buses Origins While there are indications o ...

. There are also private transport operators operating approximately 3000 buses on non-nationalised 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 other terms in various countries, including three-wheeler, Adaidaita Sahu, Keke-napep, Maruwa, auto, ...

s and

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

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 centre is easily recognised by the

Clock tower Clock towers are a specific type of structure that house a turret clock and have one or more clock faces on the upper exterior walls. Many clock towers are freestanding structures but they can also adjoin or be located on top of another building ...

(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 Stephen Alter is an American author of more than 20 books of fiction and non-fiction. He was born in Mussoorie, India and much of his writing focuses on the Indian Himalayas and the broader Himalayan region. His novel, ''Birdwatching'' (Aleph 2 ...

Nayantara Sahgal Nayantara Sahgal (née Pandit; born 10 May 1927) is an Indian writer who writes in English. She is a member of the Nehru–Gandhi family, the second of the three daughters born to Jawaharlal Nehru's sister, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit. She was award ...

, Allan Sealy,

Ruskin Bond Ruskin Bond (born 19 May 1934) is an Indian author. His first novel, ''The Room on the Roof'', published in 1956, received the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize. Bond has authored more than 500 short stories, essays, and novels which includes 69 books ...

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. GURU RAM RAI DARBAR SAHIB 3

There are fairs ( melas) throughout the year. Notable fairs include Magh Mela, held on 14 January and Jhanda Mela in March, is celebrated as the birthday of Ram Rai, the eldest son of the seventh Guru of the Sikhs, Har Rai. A massive banner (''jhanda'') is raised during this fair to commemorate his arrival in the Doon Valley on this very day in 1733. The Jhanda Fair is observed on the fifth day of ''

chaitra Chaitra () is a month of the Hindu calendar. In the standard Hindu calendar and India's national civil calendar, Chaitra is the first month of the year. It is the last month in the Bengali calendar, where it is called Choitro. Chaitra or Cha ...

'', which also falls five days after

Holi Holi () is a major Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours, Love and Spring.The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...".Yudit Greenberg, Encyclopedia of Love in World ...

. It is held in Guru Ram Rai Darbar Sahib in Jhanda Bazaar.

Tourism

Tourist destinations include the Dehradun Zoo, Kalanga Monument,

, 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 va ...

, Tapovan, Lakshman Siddha Peeth,

Tapkeshwar Temple Tapkeshwar Temple, also known as Tapkeshwar Mahadev Temple, is a temple in Dehradun dedicated to Shiva. The temple is on the bank of the Tons River, built on top of a natural cave, which holds the temple's main shivalinga. History The Tapkesh ...

, 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, Lakhamandal 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 journalist, novelist, poet, and short-story writer. He was born in British Raj, British India, which inspired much ...

, 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 A hill station is a touristic town located at a higher elevation than the nearby plain or valley. The English term was originally used mostly in Western imperialism in Asia, colonial Asia, but also in Africa (albeit rarely), for towns founded by ...

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 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 A mother goddess is a major goddess characterized as a mother or progenitor, either as an embodiment of motherhood and fertility or fulfilling the cosmological role of a creator- and/or destroyer-figure, typically associated the Earth, sky, ...

Mahalakshmi Lakshmi (; , , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, , ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of wealth, fortune, prosperity, beauty, fertility, sovereignty, and abundance. She along with Parvat ...

. 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 Dehradun, Uttarakhand in India. It is the home ground of Uttarakhand cricket team. It is the first international standar ...

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 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 Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than 100 pea ...

, located approximately from the centre of Dehradun City in

state of India. Believed to be the hideout of the 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 A canyon (; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), gorge or chasm, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tend ...

formed in a conglomerate

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

area on

's Dehra

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), 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. ...

. 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 trek.

Lachhiwala Picnic Spot

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

Tapkeshwar Temple

It is a temple of Pashupati Shiva. It is situated beside a forest on the bank of the Asan river and the main deity (

Shivalinga A lingam ( , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. The word ''lingam'' is found in the Upanishads and epic literature, wher ...

) is housed in a natural cave. According to the holy epic

, Guru

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 centre and a rescue centre 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 Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and Literature, letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". ...

FRSGS of the

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...

. 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 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, 2004 tsunami. The r ...

. 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 a visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or " support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush. Other implements, ...

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 Centre

Regional Science Centre (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 Centre is developed by the National Council for Science Museum (NCSM) in collaboration with the UCOST. The Regional Science Centre is a common 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. Organised 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'' () is an Indian Hindi-language daily newspaper that is being currently published from Chandigarh, New Delhi, Jalandhar and Bathinda Bathinda is a city and municipal corporation in Punjab, India. The city is the administ ...

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

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

Hindustan ''Hindūstān'' ( English: /ˈhɪndustæn/ or /ˈhɪndustɑn/, ; ) was a historical region, polity, and a name for India, historically used simultaneously for northern Indian subcontinent and the entire subcontinent, used in the modern day ...

'' ''Rashtriya Sahara'', ''Divya Himgiri'', and ''

Amar Ujala ''Amar Ujala'' () is a Hindi-language daily newspaper published in India which was founded in 1948. It has 22 editions in six states and two union territories covering 180 districts. It has a circulation of around two million copies. The 2019 ...

''. ''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 businessman K. N. Guruswamy and launched on 17 June 1948. It is published by The Printers Mysore, a privately hel ...

'', ''

The Times of India ''The Times of India'' (''TOI'') is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by the Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, third-largest newspaper in India by circulation an ...

'', and ''

Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English language, English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media Limited, an entity controlled by the Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia, the daughter o ...

''.

All India Radio All India Radio (AIR), also known as Akashvani (), is India's state-owned public broadcasting, public radio broadcaster. Founded in 1936, it operates under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broa ...

, the national state-owned radio broadcaster, has AM radio stations in the city. All India Radio also airs an

FM radio FM broadcasting is a method of radio broadcasting that uses frequency modulation (FM) of the radio broadcast carrier wave. Invented in 1933 by American engineer Edwin Armstrong, wide-band FM is used worldwide to transmit high fidelity, high-f ...

station known as AIR North. Dehradun has five FM stations including, AIR Dehradun, Radio Dehradun (community radio station),

Red FM 93.5 Red FM (Often stylized as ''Superhits 93.5 RED FM'') is an Indian FM radio network headquartered in Chennai and owned by Chennai-based Sun Group. The network broadcasts content in various Indian languages including Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Te ...

, Radio Zindagi, Hello Doon (NIVH) and Himagiri Ki Awaaz. There is a

Doordarshan Doordarshan (), abbreviated as DD, is India's State-owned enterprise, state-owned public broadcasting, public television broadcaster. Established by the Government of India on 15 September 1959, it is owned by the Ministry of Information and B ...

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.ITU Radio Regulations, Section IV. Radio Stations and Systems ...

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.ITU Radio Regulations, Section IV. Radio Stations and Systems ...

(DTH) entertainment services in Dehradun include

Videocon d2h DishTV India Ltd. (stylised as dishtv) is an Indian subscription based satellite television provider based in Noida. DishTV was launched by the Zee Group on 2 October 2003. It ranked #437 and #5 on the list of media companies in Fortune Indi ...

, DD Direct+,

Dish TV DishTV India Ltd. (stylised as dishtv) is an Indian subscription based satellite television provider based in Noida. DishTV was launched by the Zee Group on 2 October 2003. It ranked #437 and #5 on the list of media companies in Fortune Indi ...

, Reliance Digital TV,

Airtel digital TV Airtel Digital TV is an Indian subscription based satellite television provider owned by Bharti Telemedia Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bharti Airtel. It launched DTH satellite television service in India on 9 October 2008. Airtel D ...

and

Tata Sky Tata Play is an Indian subscription-based satellite television (DTH) service provider owned by Tata Group. it was using MPEG-4 digital compression technology, transmitting using INSAT-4A GSAT-10 and GSAT-24 satellites. Incorporated in 2005, ...

Sport

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

adventure sports Action sports, adventure sports or extreme sports are activities perceived as involving a high degree of risk of injury or death. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion and highly specialized gear. Extre ...

, 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 in a cocoon-like 'pod' suspended be ...

sky diving Parachuting and skydiving are methods of descending from a high point in an atmosphere to the ground or ocean surface with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachute or multiple parachutes. For hu ...

rafting Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...

and

bungee jumping Bungee jumping (), also spelled bungy jumping, is an activity that involves a person jumping from a great height while connected to a large elastic cord. The launching pad is usually erected on a tall structure such as a building or crane, a ...

. The first indoor ice rink in India that meets the size requirements for

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

figure skating Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, with its introduction occurring at the Figure skating at the 1908 Summer Olympi ...

, short track and

rink bandy Rink bandy is a variant of the larger sport of bandy. Unlike bandy which is played on a large bandy field, rink bandy is played on significantly smaller ice hockey-sized ice rinks. While a bandy field is about the same size as a football pi ...

was built in Dehradun. As in the rest of India, cricket is popular among city youth.

Cricket Association of Uttarakhand The Cricket Association of Uttarakhand (CAU) is the governing body of the cricket activities in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and the Uttarakhand cricket team. It is affiliated with the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Hira Singh Bis ...

, which regulates cricket in Uttarakhand, is also based in the city. The multi-purpose

Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium The Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, commonly known as Uppal Stadium, is an international cricket stadium in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It is owned and operated by Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA). It is the home ground of ...

, 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 The Uttarakhand cricket team is a cricket team that represents the state of Uttarakhand in Indian domestic competitions. Background In July 2018, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) named the team as one of the nine new sides that ...

and second home to the

Afghanistan cricket team The Afghanistan men's national cricket team (, ) represents Afghanistan in international cricket. It is a full Member of the International Cricket Council with Test cricket, Test, One-Day International and T20 International status. Cricket h ...

. A Mega Sports Complex is situated in the

Raipur Raipur ( ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Raipur is also the administrative headquarters of Raipur district and Raipur division, and the largest city of the state. It was a part of Madhya Pradesh before the state of Chh ...

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 competitions and

ice hockey tournaments Ice is water that is frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 ° C, 32 ° F, or 273.15 K. It occurs naturally on Earth, on other planets, in Oort cloud objects, and as interstellar ice. As a naturally occur ...

, including the

IIHF The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF; ; ) is a worldwide governing body for ice hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 84 member countries. The IIHF maintains the IIHF World Ranking based on international ice hockey tourn ...

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 The Ranji Trophy is a premier domestic first-class cricket championship played in India and organized annually by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The teams representing regional and state cricket associations participate. BCCI ...

. Due to lack of infrastructure, players started moving to different states. In November 2012, Former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand

Vijay Bahuguna Vijay Bahuguna (born 28 February 1947) is an Indian politician who served as the 6th Chief Minister of Uttarakhand. He is the eldest son of Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna, an independence activist and politician, and also a former Chief Minister of ...

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 Harish Singh Rawat (born 27 April 1948) is an Indian politician who served as the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand from 2014 to 2017. A five-time Member of Parliament, Rawat is a senior leader of the Indian National Congress party. As a membe ...

inaugurated the stadium along with

Rajeev Shukla Rajeev Shukla (born 13 September 1959) is an Indian politician, former journalist, political commentator and the former chairman of Indian Premier League. In 2015, he was re-appointed unanimously as the Chairman of IPL by the BCCI. On 18 Decem ...

(the 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. * 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 George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician, singer and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Culture ...

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

wrote a song called "Dehra Dun" during the group's 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 ''All Things Must Pass'' is the third studio album by George Harrison. Released as a triple album in November 1970, it was Harrison's first solo work after Break-up of the Beatles, the break-up of the Beatles in April that year. It includes th ...

'' in 2021.

Notable people

List of notable personalities from Dehradun: *

Abhinav Bindra Abhinav Bindra (born 28 September 1982) is an Indian former sport shooter and a businessman. He is an Olympic gold medalist as well as the first and one of only two Indians to win an individual Olympic gold medal. Bindra is also the first Ind ...

– Olympic gold medalist shooter *

Anshul Jubli Anshul Jubli (born 13 January 1995) is an Indian professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Jubli became the second Indian citizen to get a UFC contract, af ...

– MMA fighter,

Road to UFC Season 1 Road to UFC Season 1 is the 2022 cycle of Road to UFC, a mixed martial arts event series in which top Asian MMA prospects compete to win contracts with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). It features four divisions—flyweight, bantamweigh ...

winner * Dehra Parker (1882–1963) – former MP of

Parliament of Northern Ireland The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which sat from 7 June 1921 to 30 March 1972, when it was suspended because of its inability to restore ord ...

Jubin Nautiyal Jubin Nautiyal (born 14 June 1989) is an Indian playback singer and live performer. In June 2022, he won the IIFA award for "Playback Singer (Male)" for the song "Raataan Lambiyan" from '' Shershaah'' and "Upcoming Male Vocalist of the Year" a ...

– Indian singer * Raghav Juyal – dancer, television host *

Amardeep Jha Amardeep Jha is an Indian actress and television personality. Personal life Jha lost her husband very early in her married life and her daughter Shriya Jha is an actress. Career Jha began her profession with the serial ''Amanat (Indian TV se ...

– film actress *

Anirudh Dave Aniruddh Dave (born 21 July 1986) is an Indian film and television actor. Aniruddh made his debut in Imagine TV's Raajkumar Aaryyan. Later he entered Sahara One's Woh Rehne Waali Mehlon Ki to play the role of Deven. He played Rajveer in Me ...

– TV actor *

Anirudh Agarwal Aniruddh "Ajay" Agarwal (born 20 December 1949) is a retired Indian actor. He is known for his appearances in horror films such as '' Purana Mandir'', '' Bandh Darwaza'', and '' Saamri'' as well as starring in episodes of '' Zee Horror Show''. ...

– actor *

Ali Abbas Zafar Ali Abbas Zafar is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter. He is known for directing ''Mere Brother Ki Dulhan'' (2011), ''Gunday'' (2014), ''Sultan (2016 film), Sultan'' (2016), ''Tiger Zinda Hai'' (2017) and ''Bharat (film), Bharat' ...

– film director *

Saira Banu Saira Banu (born 23 August 1944) is an Indian actress who mainly worked in Hindi films. Regarded amongst the finest actors of Hindi cinema, she was among the most popular actresses of the 1960s and early 1970s. Banu received four Filmfare Award ...

– former film actress in the 1960s * Bobby Cash – country music artist *

Archana Puran Singh Archana Puran Singh (born 26 September 1962) is an Indian actress and television personality. She is known for her comedy roles in several Bollywood movies and as a judge in the comedy shows ''The Kapil Sharma Show'' and '' Comedy Circus''. She ...

– TV, film actress *

Vikas Gupta Vikas Gupta (born 7 May 1988) is an Indian television producer, creative director, screenwriter and host. He is known for participating in '' Bigg Boss 11'', '' Bigg Boss 14'' and hosting '' MTV Ace of Space''. Life Gupta was born on 7 May 19 ...

– producer, TV presenter, former

Bigg Boss ''Bigg Boss'' is an Indian reality show franchise based on the Dutch reality show '' Big Brother''. It is produced by Endemol Shine India through JioStar Network. Subsequently, the various versions of the show are made internationally availabl ...

contestant * Vir Das – film actor and stand-up comedian *

– football player * Asha Negi – television actress * Surendra Pal Joshi * Deepa Sahi – actress * Deepak Dobriyal – TV actor * Hemant Pandey – film actor * Himani Shivpuri – Actress * K. N. Singh – actor * Madhurima Tuli – actress * Monisha Kaltenborn – businesswoman * Nirmal Pandey – actor * Nitin Sahrawat actor, environmentalist * Prerna Arora- Bollywood producer and director * Rrahul Sudhir – TV actor *

- author * Sanjay Kaul - political activist * Shivangi Joshi – TV actor * Shraddha Sharma – singer * Sonam Bisht – television actress * Sudhanshu Pandey – model * Tom Alter – former TV and film actor * Udita Goswami – former actress * Lokesh Ohri – anthropologist and heritage activist * Vandana Shiva- food sovereignty advocate, Indian scholar, ecofeminist * Vikram Singh Chauhan – television actor

References

External links

* * {{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 Cities and towns in Dehradun district