One
of the most important towns of the state of Uttarakhand, Dehradun, is
located at an altitude of 700 m. It serves as the gateway to
Mussoorie. This charming town lies in a valley in the Siwaliks, foothills of
the Himalaya. It derives it's name from the camp (Dehra means camp) of Ram
Rai, the son of the 7th Sikh guru. On not being made guru he quarelled and
after facing defeat came to Dun valley. In the latter half of the 17th
century, Ram Rai established a gurudwara in the Jhanda Mohalla area, where
hordes of devotees throng to date.
Dehradun is an important
educational centre and military cantonment. It also boasts of several
prestigious boarding schools including the exclusive Doon school where Rajiv
Gandhi was educated. At present it is the base of the
Indian
Military Academy. It also house the
Forest Research
Institute and the
Wildlife Institute of India.
Prime Attractions of
Dehradun » Sericulture Institute : Like the
Forest Research Institute, the mulberry demonstration farms of the
Sericulture Institute, are also one of the highlights of the town.
» Gucchu Pani, or Robber's cave.
» Tapovan : Five kms away is Tapovan, where the
legendary Dronacharya, the great guru of the heroes of the Mahabharata, is
believed to have performed penance.
»
Kalanga : A monument to the hero of the great siege of Kalanga,
Balbhadra Singh Thapa, is also about eight kms from the town.
» Sahastradhara : The Sahastradhara, 14 kms away,
is known for its sulphur springs.
» Rajaji
National Park : The Rajaji National Park, another tourist attraction, is
20 kms away.
» Kalsi : The site of
prime historical interest is Kalsi, 50 kms from Dehradun, which boasts of a
rock inscription of Asoka, the great Mauryan emperor.
» Tapkeshwar Mahadev : 6 kms from the centre of
the town is Tapkeshwar Mahadev, a cave shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva, by
the banks of a river. Legend has it that Shiva made milk flow from this cave
for Asvathama, the son of guru Dronacharya.
Places to Stay in
Dehradun Madhuban, Meedo's Grand, Hilton, Hotel Drona ( Garhwal Mandal
Vikas Nigam Ltd. - run ), and Chandra are some of the popular means of
accommodation.
How to get there 
» AirThe nearest airport is at Jolly Grant,
25 kms away, on the outskirts of the town, that has daily flights to Delhi.
» Rail Dehradun is a major railhead on
the Northern Railway line with direct trains to Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta,
Varanasi and Lucknow.
» RoadUP
Roadways operates regular bus trips from Simla, Haridwar and Delhi to
Dehradun.
