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Dehradun, the capital city of Uttarakhand is a complete blend of city and hill culture. Dehradun is 250 km from Delhi and is set in the foothills of Himalayas at the centre of the 120 km long Doon Valley. The name Dehradun is made up of two words where dera means camp and dun stands for valley. The beautiful town is referred to as the gateway to Mussoorie and Garhwal. It is perhaps one of the oldest cities in India and was occupied by the Sikhs, Mughals and Gurkhas before the British took over.
Dehradun is the place to be for nature lovers and adventure seekers. The ski resort at Auli near Dehradun attracts enthusiasts from all over the country and abroad. The resort has skiing facilities like cable car, ski lift, chair lift and snow-beaters. The valley of flowers, Har-ki-Doon, Dodital, and Pindari glacier etc. make excellent trekking routes from Dehradun.
Apart from that, it’s a heaven for religious souls. While in Dehradun you must visit the Tapkeshwar Mahadev temple. This cave temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, is on the banks Tons river. Legends reveal that Tapkeswar Mahadev temple is the auspicious place where guru Drona of Pandavas and Kauravas meditated to gain further knowledge. The water or moisture from the hills and trees, flows down as droplets on to the shivling, hence the name (Tapkeshwar).
The Shakya Centre, Robbers Cave, Sahastradhara, Malsi Deer Park and the Rajaji National Park are other places of tourist importance in Dehradun.
Dehradun is also renowned for its academic institutes. It’s home to institutes like the Anthropological Survey of India, Botanical Survey of India, Indian Institute of Petroleum, Rashtriya Indian Military College, Wildlife Institute of India, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, and Indian Military Academy. In Dehradun, a must check out is the Sahakari Bazaar, Rajpur Road, Astley Hall, Paltan Bazaar, and Connaught Place. The carpets weaved by the Tibetan refugees make excellent gifting options. The items made of wood, cane and bamboo are quite popular including local paintings, ornaments and woolen garments.
The hill resort of Dehradun hosts several fairs and festivals. Dehradun celebrates the Jhanda Fair on the fifth day after Holi every year in March/April. The fair honours Guru Ram Rai who arrived in 1699, built a gurudwara called Guru Ram Rai Durbar and hoisted his flag on it. The followers come together and the flag is ceremoniously unfurled at the Jhanda Chowk of Dehradun.
The Tapkeshwar temple also celebrates the Shivratri fair with much fervour. Then there is the Lakhawar Fair that is celebrated in the Lakhawar village during the months of September and October every year. Dance, music, and sports competitions mark the celebrations of the fairs in Dehradun.
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