The most prominent
landmark of Dehradun is
the Victorian clock
tower in the main
commercial district.
From here, the trunk
line of Rajpur Road goes
northwards right up to
Rajpur, forking off
towards Mussoorie after
a point. About 4 kms up
the Rajpur Road is the
sprawling campus of the
Survey of India,
set up by the British in
1767. The centre of all
major mapping and survey
activities in India, its
historical high point
was measuring the height
of Everest, which was
then named after the
Surveyor-General, Sir
George Everest..

Across the dry river bed
of the Bindal Rao on
Kaulagarh road are the
Doon School (the
Eton of India) and the
huge red brick campus of
the Forest Research
Institute(FRI).
Built in 1914, the
FRI campus is a
verdant expanse of
Botanical Gardens and
forests. Within, is a
library stocked with a
huge collection of books
on forestry, a bookshop
and a museum divided
into six parts. The
museum is worth
visiting, with its array
of wood samples, insects
and wildlife. The Wadia
Institute of Himalayan
Geology also has an
interesting museum
displaying rock samples,
semi-precious stones and
Himalayan fossils.
For religiously inclined
travellers, 6 kms from
the centre of town is
the cave shrine of
Tapkeshwar,
dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Lying next to a swift
flowing forest stream,
the cave has a stone
lingam with milky water
dripping onto it from
the ceiling. Every year,
during Shivratri the
entire area is taken up
with festivities because
of a fair where devotees
jostle with holy men to
gain access to the cave.
Outside, stalls selling
knick-knacks, food items
and toys drum up a
festive atmosphere. You
can also get a shot at
having a special bhang
(cannabis) drink.
|
At Rajpur, 12 kms from
the centre of town is a Tibetan settlement
with a new gompa called the Shakya Centre.
This is a walking distance from my
home.Decorated with ornate frescoes, the
settlement has a centre for Tibetan
medicine. |
For more sightseeing you
can visit
Sahastradhara
(thousand streams) with
its sulphur springs, the
new Malsi Deer Park,
that is about 3 kms from
my home on the Dehradun
– Mussoorie road and the
shrine of Lakshman Sidh,
which is 12 kms away
make for wonderful
drives and picnics and
are truly quite idyllic.
There are a host of
tourist places near
Dehradun. You can
visit Badrinath (314 kms),
Auli (approximately 273
km) and Chakrata (98 kms)
from here. Other closer
getaways include:
Mussoorie, the
highly popular north
Indian hill resort is 34
kms from Dehradun. In
the evenings, the lights
on the hills of
Mussoorie can be seen
from my terrace.
About 8 kms from
Dehradun is Robber’s
Cave, also known as
Guchhu Pani. A
popular picnic spot, the
cave is reached after a
kilometer trek up the
hills. Here, waters of a
spring vanish
underground and reappear
some distance away.
For wildlife enthusiasts
Malsi Deer Park,
situated on the
outskirts of Dehradun,
is another place that is
a must-see. A zoological
garden, it is home to a
large number of deer,
which include the Indian
antelope a.k.a. Nilgai
and the two-horned deer.
You can also enjoy
watching a variety of
birds here. Apart from
that Santala Devi Temple
is about 15 kms from the
city. Visit Roorkee
and Saharanpur
are two major north
Indian towns very close
to Dehradun
(approximately 71 kms
and 70 kms
respectively). While
Roorkee is famous for
its Engineering College
established in 1847 and
now declared a
University, Saharanpur
is well known for its
woodcarving. Once a
summer retreat of the
Mughals and an army base
for the British,
Saharanpur is also
an important source of
fruits supplied to the
whole of north India.
You can also pick up
great furniture from
here.
Rishikesh
(approximately 44 kms)
and Haridwar
(approximately 54km), on
the banks of the Ganga,
are religious sites for
Hindus. The Beatles came
here in search of
succour in the 1970s,
Hindus come here in
search of salvation and
to immerse the ashes of
their dead, tourists
from the West flock here
even today on a
spiritual journey, to
practice yoga and
meditate at the many
ashrams in these holy
towns. Both places are
no more than an hour and
a half's drive from
Dehradun.
There are many
festivals and events
celebrated in
Dehradun. The
Jhanda Fair
is celebrated on the
fifth day after Holi
in March/April. The
fair honours Guru Ram
Rai who arrived in
Dehradun in 1699 and
built a Gurudwara called
Guru Ram Rai Durbar.
Guru Ram Rai hoisted his
flag on the Gurdwara.
Since then followers
assemble and the flag is
unfurled amidst a lot of
ceremony at the Jhanda
Chowk of Dehradun.
The Shivratri fair
is celebrated at the
Tapkeshwar temple in
Dehradun. Thousands of
devotees of Lord Shiva
and Goddess Parvati
assemble at the temple
during the annual
Shivratri fair.
The Lakhawar Fair
is celebrated in the
Lakhawar village during
the months of
September-October. The
festivities are
heightened with music,
sports competitions and
dance performances.
|