Tourism of Dehradun is dealing with the tourist spots like Tapkeshwar temple, Malsi Deer Park, Kalanga monument, Laxman Siddh, Chandrabani, Guchhupani, Forest Research Institute, Tapovan, Santala Devi Temple, Central Braille Press and Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology.
The city of Dehradun can religiously be stated as an ideal, sanitised, cool, idyllic and the most picture postcard hill station located amidst the verdant Doon valley, within the Ganga River and Yamuna river.
This capital city of the Uttarakhand which is previously called Uttaranchal state of India is majestically circumvented by the Himalayan range and the Shivalik ranges. Due to so many of such nascent to perceptible qualities present in the city of Dehradun, tourism and footfall to this very place is nothing new to Indian as well overseas tourists. Indeed, since extensive period of time, Dehradun has played host to various ruling dynasties, making the place turn itself into a haven, already bursting for tourists.
Reflection of Past in Dehradun
The tourist places in Dehradun are one substantial genre, that is pregnant with pots of information, history, pure Himalayan splendour, greenery and more greenery with cascading waterfalls, the touch of both legends and colonialism and of course, mouth-watering food.
`Abode of Drona`
Also known as the `Abode of Drona`, Dehradun has always been an important centre for Garhwal rulers which were captured by the British East India Company in the modern colonial era. Be it in the panache of Dehradun in displaying its tourism skills, or the factor that tourist places in Dehradun outnumber the thin line between realism and idealism, this Himalayan wondrous station lends a visitor a trip worth remembering the rest of life.
Scenic Beauty in Dehradun
The assorted range of hill resorts present scattered all through the city, makes tourist places in Dehradun one exceedingly clandestine adventurous experience, waiting to be uncovered. These resorts being spoken about, lends an enchanting view of the overhanging luxuriant green valleys, thick woodlands, snow covered peaks and waterfalls. Dehradun tours lends its tourists an almost `haunting` and `captivating` an experience due to a visit to all the out of this locales. It might just not be an overstatement if stated that these tourist places within Dehradun are in reality, highly coordinated, strategically planned for more and more footfall and of course, well maintained, with a dash of picturesque and sweeping places filling in for visitors. In the past couple of years, Dehradun has magnified and swelled enormously, with the city catering to more and more escalating tourists coming in for fresh life and breathing into peacefulness. The verdant and dense green woods, the call of the wild animals or birds, the cascading waterfalls, the watching points for the awe-inspiring Himalayan panorama, the national parks, or the venerable ancient temples - Dehradun tourism has to offer everything to every kind of tourists that can be possible under the sun.
Provisional Capital of Uttarakhand
Dehradun also hold in the prestige of serving as one of the oldest cities of India and was recently declared as the Provisional Capital of newly created Uttarakhand (previously Uttaranchal) State in the month of November 2000.
Colonialism in Dehradun
Due to the advent of colonialism, Dehradun had received its own touch of Victorian and the English rule of law, which, to a grand extent can still be viewed in its architectural wonders. Indeed, as beginning paraphernalia to a tourist just arrived unto Dehradun, he/she will surely be attracted to these colonial edifices, imposing in their air.
Itinerary in Dehradun
The itinerary of tourist places in Dehradun can be begun with these very British colonial buildings, as can be seen thus. The headquarters of many reputed and most prestigious National Institutes and Organizations like ONGC, Survey Of India, Forest Research Institute, Indian Institute of Petroleum etc. are located within the city`s fringes. Some of the most premier and respected educational and training institutes like Indian Military Academy (IMA), RIMC (Rashtriya Indian Military College), Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA), Lal Bahadur Shahstri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Indian Institute of Petroleum (I.I.P.), The Doon School etc. are also present in Dehradun.
Dehradun as Hill Station
This Himalayan hill station is thus, for various reasons, chosen as a favoured tourist destination as it arrests lakhs of tourists, pilgrims and enthusiasts from various walks of life into its serene environs. And one cannot indeed just stop here, being all breathless. Tourist places in Dehradun can boldly add to the already-prestigious list, the yet to be savoured abundance of special Basmati rice, tea and litchi gardens, which contributes in turning the city into an earthly paradise.
Medieval Touch in Dehradun
Prior to get set go into a whirlwind tour of all the tourist places in Dehradun, it is mandatory that he/she should have a knowledge of the place`s historical evolution. The district of Dehradun has verily been named after its chief city of Dehra Dun. The term `Dehra` appears to be a corrupted version of `dera`, implying a provisional and impermanent abode or camp. During the reign of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, Ram Rai, Guru of the Udasi Sikhs, on being dictated by the Mughal king to retire into the wilderness of the Dun, is known to have pitched his tents here, in what is presently the Khurbura locality of the town. Ram Rai is also acknowledged to have built a temple near Dhanawala. And it was around these two sites that the town Dehra grew towards its popularity and grand acceptance until contemporary times.
Impact of Climate in Tourism of Dehradun
In order for the visit to Dehradun to be successful and a worth adventurous one, one very much needs to ensure that he/ she visits the place at the right point of time, with a pleasing climate, to enjoy every locale to the fullest. The climatic conditions of the city, however, remain happily friendly for the tourist places of Dehradun to be memorised to its greatest extent. The city of Dehradun very much owns a sub-tropical climate with cool winters, warm and nippy springs, hot summers and an almost impregnable monsoon. The mountains around Dehradun receive sustained snowfall in winter, but the temperature in the city hardly ever drops down below freezing point. Due to its location in the hilly part of the state, the climate of Dehradun is quite hygienic to wholesome. During the summer months, the temperature ranges between 36 degrees Centigrade and 16.7 degrees Centigrade. The winter months are rather colder, with the maximum and minimum temperatures touching 23.4 degrees Centigrade and 5.2 degrees Centigrade respectively.
Accessibility in Dehradun
Tourist places in Dehradun city itself and also including its circuitous locales, can very well be reached by the extremely soundly preserved roads under the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), a branch of architecture and construction of the Indian Army. However, in order to reach these tourist attractions hassle-free, one first needs to reach the city safe and healthy and hearty. The primary city of Dehradun is well connected to other cities of India by all three communication channels - rail, road and air.
Visiting Information
The nearest airport from Dehradun is the Jolly Grant Airport, approximately 25 km away, on the outskirts of the town. There is a daily flight from Jolly Grant to New Delhi, which is the nearest international airport. Dehradun is a major railhead on the Northern Railway line, with direct trains to almost all the metropolitan cities of India and some crucial tourist destinations in Uttarakhand. The Shatabdi Express is the best option for the tourists arriving from New Delhi and the other good option is the Mussorie Express. The Dehradun-Mumbai Express connects the city to Mumbai. There are also trains to Varanasi, Kolkata and Lucknow. Dehradun is firmly connected to other cities of Uttarakhand and Delhi with everyday bus services. Distances of some leading cities in India from Dehradun are - Agra 381 km, Kolkata 1562 km, Chennai 2365 km, Delhi 235 km, Jaipur 493 km, one can always take his pick from the private bus services, tempos, auto rickshaws, tongas, cycle rickshaws and taxis.