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Dehradun is the capital city of the Uttarakhand state (earlier called Uttaranchal) in India, and the headquarters of Dehradun District.

It is located in the Doon valley, 230 kilometers north of India’s capital New Delhi and the Delhi metropolitan area. The district is surrounded by the Himalayas in the north, Shivalik Hills in the south, the river Ganga in the east, and the river Yamuna in the west. The water divide of Ganga and Yamuna passes through the city.

It is also located on the northwestern side of the fertile Gangetic plains of India. Before the creation of Uttarakhand on November 9 2000, Dehradun was a part of Uttar Pradesh. Neighbouring cities and towns include Haridwar, Rishikesh, Roorkee, Mussoorie and Saharanpur.

A product that has made Dehradun known within India is “Dehradooni basmati rice” and Lychee, besides it has always been known as the home of institutions like, Survey of India, Forest Research Institute (FRI), and educational institutions like, Rashtriya Indian Military College, Indian Military Academy (IMA), The Doon School, Welham Boys School and Welham Girls School.

Geography and Climate

Dehradun has a sub-tropical climate with cool winters, warm and crisp springs, hot summers and a strong monsoon. The mountains around Dehradun receive sustained snowfall in winter, but the temperature in the city hardly ever drops below freezing^[7].

Government Institutes

Osho Institute

Forest Research Institute

The city is the headquarters/home of many government institutes and organizations:

• Survey of India
• Forest Research Institute (FRI)- estd. 1906
• Rashtriya Indian Military College , (RIMC)- estd. 1922
• Indian Military Academy^[8], estd. 1932
• Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy ^[9]
• Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE)^[10]
• Wildlife Institute of India^[11]
• Indian Institute of Remote Sensing^[12]
• Zoological Survey of India
• Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology^[13]
• National Institute for the Visually Handicapped (NIVH)^[14]
• Defence Electronics Applications Laboratory (DEAL)^[15]
• Instrument Research and Development Establishment (IRDE)^[16]
• Keshava Deva Malviya Institute of Petroleum Exploration
• Botanical Survey Of India
• Central Soil and Water Conservation Research & Training Institute
• Indian Institute of remote Sensing
• Indian institute of Petroleum
• SOPHIA
• WFP Dehradun
• Controllerate of Quality Assurance (Instruments), Government of India, Ministry of Defence (establishment of DGQA)

Transport

Even though city transportation is now taken care of by blue striped city buses crisscrossing the city, another popular site are the omnipresent blue three wheel vehicles (known as “Vikrams”). These vehicles provide the most common and cheapest form of public transport, however, these vehicles have also been cited as the chief cause of increased levels of noise and air pollution in the city.

Culture

The posh city of Dehradun is bustling. It is the state capital and is also the home of many government institutions. The center of city’s activities is the popular landmark known as the Clock Tower (Ghanta-ghar), which is a tall structures with 5 functioning clocks; . The numerous high schools of the city attract students from all over the country. During the day it is common to see students (dressed in various high-school uniforms) to be moving around the city.

Economy

The city has witnessed tremendous growth in the last 20 years. Because of its educational background and high international remittances, Dehradun enjoys a high per capita income, which in dollar terms hovers close to $1800 (national average $800). The city’s transition into a large urban centre has been nothing less than phenomenal. Dehradun is in a middle of a commercial & IT boom, which is amplified by the establishment of Software Technology Parks of India (STPI^[17])and various SEZ (special economic zones)through out the city. Right from IT Parks to specifically built industrial belts have proved to be a heaven for industrialists of national and international repute. Combined with excise benefits companies are finding prospective establishment in the city (like other parts of Uttranchal) very attractive. With the construction of Delhi-Dehradun four lane highway now on full swing, the primary bottle neck endangering the city’s growth (the Delhi-Dehradun two lane highway) has been solved. More economic development is expected at a much wider scale.

Tourism

The re-established Mindroling Monastery, in Clement Town, Dehradun.

Nearby locations are:

• Gularghati
• Budha Temple & Park Clementown
• Maldevta
• Malsi Deer Park,
• Dat Kali Mata Mandir
• Sahastradhara,
• Tapkeshwar Shiv Temple,
• Laxman Sidh Temple,
• Robber’s Cave,
• Lachhiwala,
• Santhla Devi etc. surround this beautiful city,

Nearby locations are the hill stations of Mussoorie Landour just 36 km away. There is a 16 km (easy) trekking route from Dehradun to Mussoorie. Dhanaulti is a lovely hill station beyond Mussoorie Chakrata is another nearby hill station, but it is a good 80 km away. Paonta Sahib is a pilgrimage place for Sikhs with a historic Gurudwara on the banks of the Yamuna. Other nearby religious places are Haridwar and Rishikesh.