About Dehradun

Dehradun, the capital of Uttarakhand, is a city of scenic beauty, rich history and a distinctly Doon flavour. Situated in the Doon Valley between the Shivalik ranges and the Mussoorie ridge, it serves as the gateway to most of Garhwal — the Char Dham road, the hill stations, and the trekking country beyond. Known for its pleasant climate, historic boarding schools and lush sal forests, Dehradun offers a rare blend of tradition and modernity: a working capital city that still feels like a valley town.

The city is split by the Rispana and Bindal rivers, ringed by the Mussoorie forest belt, and anchored by institutions that shaped modern India — the Forest Research Institute, the Survey of India, the Indian Military Academy and the Doon School among them.

History & Origin

The name “Dehradun” is believed to derive from the Hindi words Dera (camp) and Dun (valley) — “camp in the valley” — a reference to the seasonal camps of the Guru Ram Rai Sikh community who settled here in 1675. Historically part of the Garhwal kingdom, the valley passed to the British after the Treaty of Sugauli in 1816, when it became a cantonment and administrative town.

The railway reached Dehradun in 1900, and the 20th century layered schools, survey offices and forest institutions into the valley — the Forest Research Institute (1906) remains its grandest building. In 2000 the town became the capital of the newly created state, and the old cantonment-town identity began blending with a state-capital one.

Culture & People

Dehradun’s society is a Garhwali-Kumaoni base layered with Punjabi, Bengali and Sikh communities, a legacy of its schools, cantonment and the 1947 resettlement of the Terai. The result is a city that celebrates everything: the Jhanda Sahib fair of Guru Ram Rai, Uttarayani in January, Harela in the monsoon and Diwali with equal enthusiasm.

The food culture runs on bakeries (rusks, patties, rusks with butter), street-side aloo puri and the crisp mountain vegetables of the valley. Sunday mornings here involve a walk on the Mussoorie road and a stop at the old bakeries of Paltan Bazaar.

Climate & Best Time to Visit

Dehradun has one of the gentlest climates in north India: warm-but-not-cruel summers, a strong monsoon from June to September, and cool, misty winters when the Mussoorie ridge sometimes gets snow. The valley rarely drops below 3°C or climbs past 38°C, though May afternoons come close.

How to Reach & Connectivity

By air: Jolly Grant Airport (DED), 25 km from the city, with direct flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. By rail: Dehradun Junction (DDN) has direct overnight and Shatabdi trains from Delhi. By road: about 250 km from Delhi via Meerut and Muzaffarnagar — 5-6 hours in normal traffic.

The city is the gateway to Mussoorie (33 km), Chakrata (90 km) and the Char Dham road via Rishikesh.

Quick Facts About Dehradun