About District

Nested in the mountain ranges of the Himalaya, Dehradun is one of the oldest cities of India and is recently declared as the Provisional Capital of newly created Uttaranchal (Now Uttarakhand) State in the month of Nov’2000. Also known as the ‘Adobe of Drona’, Dehradun has always been an important center for Garhwal rulers which was captured by the British. The headquarters of many National Institutes and Organizations like ONGC, Survey Of India, Forest Research Institute, Indian Institute of Petroleum etc are located in the city. Some of the premier educational and Training Institutes like Indian Miltary Academy, RIMC(Rashtriya Indian Military College), Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy(IGNFA), Lal Bahadur Shahstri National Academy of Administration(LBSNAA)etc are also there in Dehradun. It is a favoured tourist destination as it attracts tourists, pilgrims and enthusiasts from various walks of life to its serene environs. Add to this the abundance of special Basmati rice, tea and leechi gardens which contribute in turning the city into a paradise.

The district is named after its chief city Dehra Dun. Dehra appears to be a collection of deras signifying a temporary abode or camp. During the reign of Aurangzeb, Ram Rai, Guru of the Udasi Sikhs on being ordered by the Mughal king to retire to the wilderness of the Dun, had pitched his tents here in what is now the Khurbura locality of the town and has also built a temple near Dhamawala. Around these two sites, grew up the town popularly known as Dehra. The term dun or doon means the low lands at the foot of a mountain range, and as the bulk of the district lies in such a terrain, it justified the dun part of the name.

Another derivation of the term dun is stated to be from Dronashram, hermitage of Guru Dronacharya of Mahabharata fame, who sojourned for a season in the village of Devara, situated near to Dehra to perform his devotions at a lonely spot.

District Boundaries and other Details

The district is situated in the north-west corner of the state.
It is bounded on the north and to some distance in the north-west by the district of Uttarkashi,
In the east by the district Tehri Garhwal and Pauri-Garhwal.
In the south by the district of Saharanpur(Uttar Pradesh) .
At its southern tip touching the boundary of district Haridwar.
Its western boundary adjoins the Sirmur(Nahan) district of Himachal Pradesh with the rivers Tons and Yamuna separating the two.
Lies between 29 degrees 58′ and 31 degrees 2′ 30″ north latitudes and 77 degrees 34′ 45″ and 78 degrees 18′ 30″ east longitudes.
Total area of the district is 3088 sq kms.
Altitude is 640 mts.(2100 ft) above sea level .