Uttarakhand - A journey to the Land of Gods

Uttarakhand is one of the most mystical and beautiful lands in northern India. This place is often known as “the land of the Gods” or “Dev Bhumi”. It has derived this identity due to many famous religious and pilgrimage centers in its vicinity. This land is blessed with innumerable Hindu temples, shrines and is very famous among the sages.  

Tourist Sites	Religious Sites	Famous Temples
Nainital Jim Corbett National park Valley of Flowers Rishikesh Haridwar	Gangotri Yamunotri Kedarnath Char dham Badrinath	Baaleshwar Neelkanth Baijnath temples Sri Venkateshwara, Koteshwar Mahadev Kaalimath Narsingha temple Kailash Niketan  Rudranath

  Carved out of the Himalayas this land is also an abode for breath taking beauty. This place is filled with exotic flora and fauna, graceful snow capped mountains, scenic beauty and mighty rivers. The pure air, calm and cool climate, a fragrance of religiousness in the air,  the simple lifestyle of the people, a rich culture and history all adds up to make this place a perfect spot for travelers and adventure seekers. This place is a favorite destination for summer holidays.

This land is a home to the some of the great religious sites in India- Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, Chardham, Char Dham and Badrinath. Haridwar is another religious place in Uttarakhand that is visited regularly. Haridwar meaning “the gateway to Gods” is an ancient religious city located on the banks of Ganga. People from various places come here to take a holy dip in the river Ganga to wash away their sins. The evening Ganga Arati is a special religious ceremony that holds main attraction here. The famous Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev also belongs to this place.

  Not much far from Haridwar is Rishikesh, another important place in Uttarakhand. This place is known as the birth place of Yoga. People flock into this place to practice Yoga and Meditation. It is believed that practicing Yoga and Meditation here leads to salvation. This place is also a perfect place to relax and enjoy the Himalayas. Apart from them Uttarakhand is flooded with many famous temples and religious places that hold importance in the religion of Hinduism. Some of them areBaaleshwar, Neelkanth, Baijnath temples, Sri Venkateshwara, Koteshwar Mahadev, Kaalimath, Narsingha temple, Kailash Niketan, Rudranath etc. The famous and the mighty rivers Ganga and Yamuna have its origin in Gangotri and Yamunotri. These rivers are the life line of Hinduism in India.

  Uttarakhand being a hill station has a lot of other tourist destinations apart from the religious destinations. The most famous of them is Mussoorie. Located at 35 kms from the capital Dehradun, this place is known as “the queen of hills” for its scenic beauty. It is located in the Garwal hills and is famous as a stress free tourist spot. The abundance in the flora and fauna, the wild streams, waterfalls, pleasant climate, snow covered mountains all add to the charm of this place.

  Nainital is another famous hill station here. Located among the seven hills of the Kumaon this place is blessed by almost 60 lakes. This region is popularly known as the Lake District of India. The most famous attraction of this place is the Naini Lake where it is believed that Lord Shiva performed his Tandava with Parvati’s body.

Uttarakhand Tourist Map

Another very interesting place to visit in Uttarakhand is the Jim Corbett National park located in the Kumaon hills. This park is named after the famous hunter Jim Corbet. The main purpose of this park is the safety and preservation of Tigers especially the Royal Bengal Tigers.  This place has been a haunt for nature and wild life lovers. It contains a diverse variety of flora and fauna. Almost 73% of this park is covered with deciduous forest of Sal, Mango, Pipil and Rohini trees. This is easily one of the most visited places in Uttarakhand. Valley of Flowers is another national park in Uttarakhand. It is located in the Chamoli district at a distance of about 595 kilometers from Delhi.

  Uttarakhand, a land of religion, beauty and adventure has always been a treasure land for travelers. It is a land of salvation that promises you spiritual upliftment and refreshment to your body and senses. Uttarakhand tour (see more) should be a remarkable one in your life.

Interstate human trafficking racket busted, 5 boys rescued in Uttarakhand

DEHRADUN: A major interstate human trafficking racket has been busted by the Haridwar police with the arrest of three persons involved in the operation and the recovery of five children in the age group of three years to six months. 

According to the police, the gang members lifted infants as their family members slept mainly from the platform of the Haridwar railway station, later selling them to people in Ghaziabad, Noida, Delhi and Haryana for anything between Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh per child. 

The attention of the Haridwar police was caught by the similar modus operandi of a gang involved in targeting kids at railway stations. On September 4 last year, Mahoba (UP) resident Baldev Prasad told GRP that his children were stolen one night from the Haridwar station. On June 2 this year, the son of Bulandshahr resident Sunil Kumar was stolen in a similar fashion. This was followed on August 3 and September 3 by the snatching away of children belonging to one Dharampal of Amroha and Murli Saini from Bijnore. Again, the site of the crimes were railway stations. 

"Following all this, we constituted a joint team of the GRP and SOG to crack the cases," SSP Haridwar Sadanand Date told TOI. Working on the clues, the team quickly arrested four persons, including a woman, from the Jwalapur railway station on Friday. 

The arrested have been identified as Muzaffarpur resident Krishnaveer, his wife Rekha, Jagmohan, a Dehradun resident, and Balwinder Singh, who is from the Yamuna Nagar district of Haryana. 

Giving details of the modus operandi of the gang, Date said, "They targeted families that had children and were visibly tired from long distances of travel. The gang members slept on the platform alongside their targets and fled with unsuspecting children the first opportunity they got.

Out of the five children rescued on Friday, three are from Haridwar. Efforts are being made to trace the identity of the two others. "We are contacting people who have registered FIR in connection with their missing child or children. Soon, we hope to ascertain the identity of the two kids," Date added. "Generally, these criminals sold infants to people who did not have a child. Efforts are on to find out how many children they have lifted till now and what is their status." 

Lauding the efforts of the joint team, DGP B S Sidhu announced a cash prize of Rs 10,000 even as DIG Range Amit Sinha declared a reward of Rs 5,000 and SSP Haridwar Rs 2,500. 

Welham Girls School win basketball finals

Welham Girls School beat The Aryan School 

Dehradun - Under the District Youth Basketball Championship (Boys and girls) , Welham Girls School beat The Aryan School in the final match played at The Aryan School basketball courts on Friday.

The Welham Girls School beat The Aryan School 38-19. The highest scorer from Welham Girls School was Seher with 12 points while the highest scorer from The Aryan School was Channi with eight points.

In the final match of the boys’ category, Welham Boys School beat The Asian School 37-22 points. The highest scorer from Welham Boys School was Vijay with 13 points and the highest scorer from The Asian School was Vaibhav with 12 points.

The chief guest for the final match was Sunny Gupta, Vice Chairman of the Aryan School. He gave away prizes to the winner and runnersup teams. 

MDDA seals illegal construction at Avalon resort

Mussoorie, August 23
The local administration in association with the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) sealed a flat being constructed illegally at the Avalon resort, near Gun Hill, in Mussoorie today.

A joint team of the local administration and the MDDA reached the resort around noon and stopped the construction work being done on one flat of the resort. Following that, the officials sealed the flat and directed the owners not to venture out with construction activity, further.

The MDDA officials said notice had been served to the owners regarding the illegal construction but there was no response from the other side forcing them to carry out the sealing drive on the instruction from the MDDA, joint secretary.

Dehradun's Vikram era comes to an end

Dehradun: Come Friday, it wouldn’t be the usual merry ride for vikrams seen darting around the state capital. The RTO Department has finally got down to implement restrictions and regulate the vikram menace which has plagued Dehradun roads for decades now. Hailing the blue wagon will now be similar to hailing a threewheeler autorickshaw, unlike the past where vikrams functioned like city buses and stopped at unregulated intervals to ferry passengers, at a nominal charge. The announcement has come as a shocker to the vikram owners, while the city bus operators have welcomed the new law.

At present 782 vikrams have been awarded contract licences on the various city routes, however the actual number of vikrams plying on the road is way higher, almost double according to some estimates. The license, which permits the vikrams to run like autos, has been misused by the vikram drivers for decades now. Interestingly mapping of the several routes, and allotting a fixed number of vikrams for every route was also done by the vikram owners association, to safeguard their interests.

The blue vikrams have been a popular local transport option for the masses. Autorickshaws are way to expensive for the common man, whereas vikrams take a fraction of the fare and can be conveniently hailed from the roadsides. The new law will certainly affect thousands of commuters who have been using the service for years now.

To effectively implement the law, special teams have been deputed to keep a check on the vikrams. A steep fine of Rs 5000 will be levied on anyone breaking the law, a repeat offence will result in scrapping of the permit.

Well Vikrams, are Dehradun’s unique public transport and the cheapest way to get around town. These vehicles are often crammed with around 8 passengers squeezing in. The Vikrams are numbered according to their routes through the city. Minimum fare is Rs. 4 and maximum is Rs. 10.

The Main Vikram Routes Are:-

1 Gandhi Park to Rajpur: begins at Gandhi Park and travels to the Rajpur-Mussoorie Road Fork.

2 Clock Tower to Sahastradhara/Raipur: begins at Clock Tower and proceed to Sahastradhara Crossing.

3 Clock Tower to Rispana Bridge: begins at Clock Tower, proceed to Haridwar Road and Dharampur, and then through Nehru Colony to Rispana Bridge.

4 Rispana to Doiwala: begins at Rispana Bridge and proceed to Doiwala.

5 Parade Ground to Clement Town/Majra/ISBT: begins at Astley Hall, proceed to Majra and the Interstate Bus Terminus.

6 Bindal Pull (bridge) to Kaulagarh Road: begins at Connaught Place and goes up to Kaulagarh Road.

7 Bindal Pull to Premnagar/ Chakrata Road: begins at Connaught Place and travels on Chakrata Road crossing Krishan Nagar Chowk, Ashirwad Enclave and FRI.

8 Parade Ground to Kanwali Road / Seemadwar: begins at Astley Hall, proceed to Saharanpur Chowk, before going to Kanwali Road towards Balliwala. The last stop on this route varies between Seemadwar/Indranagar, Anurag Nursery or Vasant Vihar Chowk.

9 Bindal Pull to Garhi Cantt

10 Premnagar to Clock Tower: very infrequent, goes via Kanwali Road

11 Majra to Shimla By Pass Road

Doonites' reactions:-

Anurag writes - Absolutely ridiculous step. The cause of problem was an oversupply of these vikrams and not their presence.. The city does not have sufficient transport infrastructure to support this kind of a move... Buses are infrequent and filthy..
Its like cutting off your left hand because it itches a lot..Once again the state authorities prove their short sightedness and an uncanny ability to make knee jerk reactions.

13 Russians killed, one missing as vehicle plunges into Bhagirathi

Dehradun - 13-member Russian group were killed and one went missing when a vehicle carrying them plunged into the Bhagirathi near Harsil in Uttarkashi district on Tuesday afternoon.

The other 10 members of the group and the driver have been admitted to a Dehardun hospital.

Superintendent of Police Jagat Ram Joshi said the search for the missing person was halted for the night and would resume on Wednesday. The high water level in the river was impeding the search.

He said the group was on its way from the Gangotri temple to Uttarkashi when the vehicle fell off the road, hit a tree and fell into the river.

“The road was in a good condition. It seems the driver was trying to overtake another vehicle when the accident occurred. There can be no other cause for the accident as the road had no turns and was in a good condition,” he said.

The police, the Army and the State Disaster Response Force carried out the rescue operations.

UTTARAKHAND FAKE ENCOUNTER

CBI sought death sentence for cops

Encounter Sight

New Delhi, June 9 - A CBI court sentenced 17 Uttarakhand policemen to life imprisonment for killing a 22-year-old MBA graduate in a fake encounter in Dehradun that rocked the hill state in 2009.

Special CBI Judge JPS Malik ruled that all of them were involved in the conspiracy to kill the youth, Ranbir Singh of Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh on July 3, while seven of them were directly involved in the murder.
However, the Judge did not award them the maximum penalty of death sentence, observing that life imprisonment would meet the ends of justice in this case. The CBI had pleaded for the death penalty.

Of the 17 cops, six were sub-inspectors — Santosh Kumar Jaiswal, Gopal Dutt Bhatt (SHO), Rajesh Bisht, Neeraj Kumar, Nitin Chauhan and Chander Mohan Singh Rawat. All of them and constable Ajit Singh were convicted for the conspiracy and murder. The 10 policemen found guilty only for conspiracy include constables Satbir Singh, Sunil Saini, Chander Pal, Saurabh Nautiyal, Nagender Rathi, Vikas Chander Baluni, Sanjay Rawat and Manoj Kumar and drivers Mohan Singh Rana and Inderbhan Singh.

The court also slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 on each of the seven policemen and Rs 20,000 each on the remaining 10 and directed the authorities to handover the amount of Rs 5.5 lakh to the youth’s family. The family members, who were present in the court, expressed disappointment over the verdict and said they would move the Delhi High Court, seeking the death penalty for the accused.

The victim’s mother, who was in tears, wanted nothing less than the death penalty to all 17 policemen responsible for her son’s death.

The family members of some of the convicted policemen were also seen weeping. The court had rejected the convict’s contention that Ranbir was riding a motorcycle along with two others and snatched their revolver after being stopped at a checkpost on Mohini Road as part of a security drill for the visit of the then President Pratibha Patil. The victim’s friends are facing trial in a separate case of robbery in Uttarakhand. The Supreme Court had shifted the trial in the fake encounter case to Delhi on a plea by the victim’s family.

Badrinath shrine doors open

Devotees waiting to offer prayers after the doors of Badrinath shrine were opened on Monday.

Dehradun - The portals of the Badrinath shrine, dedicated to the worship of Lord Vishnu, opened amid chanting of mantras at 4 a.m. on Monday.

The number of devotees who thronged the snow-covered premises was “beyond expectations,” according to Chamoli District Magistrate S.A. Murugesan.

“Around 7,000 people visited the shrine,” he said. More than 3,000 visitors were pilgrims, and the remaining were locals, he said.

Even after the commencement of the pilgrimage, repair work on the road from Govindghat to Badrinath has not been finished.

The Border Roads Organisation has placed earth movers at critical spots where landslips are a probability.

Steps have been taken to regulate traffic for pilgrim safety.

“We are regulating traffic at Joshimath, Pandukeshwar, Hanuman Chatti, and Badrinath. The vehicles can only proceed in batches of 20 to 25, and no vehicle will be allowed for the Yatra after sunset and during rains,” said Mr. Murugesan.

With the opening of the Badrinath shrine, the Char Dham Yatra, which involves pilgrimage to all the four Dhams — Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath, and Kedarnath — has begun.

While the Badrinath shrine opened for pilgrims on Monday, the Kedarnath shrine had opened for pilgrims on Sunday, and Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines had opened on Friday.

Flanked by the Nar and Narayana mountains and the gushing waters of Alaknanda, Badrinath town reverberated with positive energy after the deathly silence of last year's tragedy.

The yatra was suspended last year in the wake of the catastrophic flashfloods in Uttarakhand in June, killing thousands of people. The Char Dhams are closed every year for nearly six months during the winter when they become snowbound only to be reopened during April-May when lakhs of devotees from all over the country and abroad visit the shrines.

Doon school, YPS win football matches

Dehradun, April 21
The 3rd Asian Challenge All-India Basketball Tournament kicked off at The Asian School here today. Various schools from across the country are participating in the prestigious tournament.

Doon International School won the inaugural match against The Asian School by 43-27 with Zul from Doon school remaining the top scorer after scoring 22 individual points. YPS Mohali also won its match against Sherwood College by 44-26. Jaskaran from YPS Mohali scored 18 points and was the top scorer in the match.

Woodstock School also started its campaign with a win in its first match against Aryan School by 37-28. The match between The Doon School and Whynberg Allen proved to be a close fight but in the end, The Doon School won it by 1 point margin with a final score of 41-40 in its favour.

51 BTech students attend workshop at ICFAI varsity

Dehradun, April 21 - A five-day workshop on ‘Finite elements analysis and finite volume practices’, organised by the department of mechanical engineering, ICFAI University, Dehradun, in association with Arya Systems, Hyderabad, concluded here today.

J Ravinder Rao, chief technological officer of Arya Systems, was invited as an expert for the workshop.

A total of 51 B.Tech students from mechanical engineering participated in the workshop. The workshop covered different mechanical aspects with live projects such as structural analysis, thermal analysis, CFD, CFX etc. Certificates were also distributed to the participants.

Ravinder said the students of mechanical engineering should have a basic knowledge of CAD/CAM.

He said job opportunities in India were growing in the area of CAD/CAM and engineering services.

“Software companies in India and abroad are looking for engineers, who have knowledge of design software. The students should improve their designing skills besides academics,” he added.

Two companies of disaster response force sent to Kedarnath

Dehradun, April 21 - Two companies of the recently set up State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were today flagged off to Kedarnath for the ensuing Char Dham Yatra.

The SDRF is a specialised force to deal with any emergency situation.

The companies were flagged off from the Police Lines in the presence of senior police officials.

Notably, six companies of the SDRF were set up on the lines of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) post the Kedarnath tragedy last year.

DIG Sanjay Gunjyal said members of the two SDRF companies would be deployed in four zones of the Kedar valley and would help pilgrims during the yatra.

They would also keep a vigil on the danger zone in the valley.

Welham boys won basketball title

Dehradun, April 20 - Welham Boys School won the 24th Afzal Khan Memorial Basketball Tournament after defeating Delhi Public School, Delhi, 64-31 in the final match played at The Doon School here today. Arpit scored 28 points for Welham Boys School while Shon scored 10 points from Delhi Public School.

Earlier, in the first semifinal match, DPS defeated Woodstock School 59-51 with Sharsh of Woodstock scoring 21 points.

Shon of DPS scored 35 points for DPS. In the second semifinal match, Welham Boys School trounced Th Doon International by50-21. Suyush of Welhams scored highest 13 points.

Gayatri House declared overall winner of 20th talent, cultural show

Mussoorie, April 20 - The 20th annual talent and cultural fiesta was held at Mussoorie International School auditorium here today. Gayatri House was declared the overall champion. Shantanu Prakash, CMD of Educomp Solutions, was the chief guest on the occasion. Prakash along with Padma Bhushan awardee Dr Shyama Chona inaugurated the programme. They lighted the ceremonial lamp and garlanded the portrait of Maa Gayatri and gurudev.

The event started with the chanting of traditional verses from the Vedas by the students.

An instrumental, musical event rendered in traditional ‘ragas’ of the Hindustani and Carnatic music. The students also played different instruments as well.

Santoshi House played raga Pilu, Gayatri House played raga Bhahaar and Lakshmi House played raga Desh.

The students also competed with each other in Hindi song section composed by S Ghildyal and Jhadav.

The instrumental music event was followed by instrumental musical drums, where students played instruments including, congo, tabla, xylophone, bongo and western drums.

The students also displayed their talent at the on the spot painting event.

The students of Santoshi House presented an English mime based on a poem written by Toru Dutt.

An English play ‘Draupadi’, tribal folk dances including, Dollu Kunitha from Karnataka, Siala from Chattisgarh and Dhalkai from Sambalpur were also performed by the students on the occasion.

The students also mesmerised the audience by their Kathak performance.

They displayed a saree fashion show at the end.

Principal Priya Peter said such talent shows helped in instilling confidence among the students.

The chief guest also gave away the winning trophy to Gayatri House.

HC notice on illegal quarrying

Dehradun, April 20 - The Nainital High Court has issued a notice to the state and sought a reply within three weeks regarding illegal quarrying in Uttarakhand. The court directive came in the wake of a PIL filed by the Jan Sangharsh Morcha.

Raghunath Singh Negi, president of the Jan Sangharsh Morcha and former chairman of the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam, has been alleging that the state government has allotted land for quarrying where there is a little possibility of getting minerals and, in another way, has been facilitating illegal collection of minerals from rivers. Negi sought a CBI probe saying the administration had only impounded some trucks in the name of action against the quarrying mafia. 

Prayers mark Easter celebrations

Dehradun, April 20 - A large number of Christians celebrated Easter in Dehradun today. Prayers were offered in various churches of the city.

A large gathering offered prayers during morning hours at St Francis Church, Morrison Memorial Church, St John’s Church and other churches in Dehradun. These were followed by exchange of greetings.

Meanwhile, bakeries in the city have made special Easter cakes and cross buns for the celebrations. The Christians world over celebrate Easter for the rising of Jesus Christ after his death on Good Friday.

Central Braille Press prints dummy ballot sheets for visually impaired

Central Braille Press, at NIVH, Dehradun 

Dehradun, April 16 - The Central Braille Press at the National Institute for the Visually Handicapped (NIVH) is printing dummy ballot sheets for visually impaired voters. These sheets would help them locate candidates, their party symbol and position on EVMs for the May 7 Lok Sabha polls in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

These dummy ballot sheets will be dispatched to the polling booths in both states for the ready reference of the visually impaired voters.

The NIVH has also asked to print such dummy ballot sheets for the visually impaired voters of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Haryana.

“We have been empanelled by the Election Commission of India for printing dummy ballot sheets in Braille for the states of Bihar, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. Nearly 27,000 dummy ballot sheets in Braille were transported to Haryana before it went to the polls on April 10,” said Anuradha Mohit, Director, NIVH.

For the 40 parliamentary constituencies in Bihar, nearly 80,000 dummy ballot sheets would be printed and for the 80 parliamentary constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, 1.60 lakh ballot sheets would be printed. The ballot sheets are being printed on 140 GSM paper in Braille 650 S-W printing press procured from Norway.

The printing press is able to print 1,000 pages per hour and for the visually impaired voters of Uttarakhand, the requirement is of 7,500 dummy ballot sheets.

The NIVH has also been entrusted with the responsibility of providing numeric stickers. “In certain booths, EVMs made before 2006 are still in use. The pre-2006 EVMs did not contain numeric listing in braille, so stickers are also being printed that would be pasted on them. These were required for the polls in Haryana,” said Lokesh Nawani, in charge, braille, NIVH.

ABVP ACTIVISTS STAGE PROTEST IN FRONT OF SCHOLAR’S HOME SCHOOL

Dehradun - The activists of Akhil Bhartiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP) protested in front of Scholar’s Home school here on Wednesday. The ABVP workers alleged that the school management is selling books from a stall opened inside the school premises at higher prices to the parents.

The students belonging to the ABVP reached the school located at the Rajpur road and shouted slogans against the management for increase in fees and charging more on the books and stationery. The Additional District Magistrate (ADM) G S Gunawant reached the spot and held talks with the agitators and school management on the issue.

The hegemony and loot of the private schools has forced the social and political organizations to raise their voice against them. The education department has opened a complaint cell at the office of District Education Officer (DEO) Primary to register the complaints against these schools.

On the basis of these complaints the education department has given show cause notices of 40 schools of the city. The department has warned to take strict action against those schools which are not following the provisions of Right to Education (RTE).

Dehradun: "The School Capital of India"

Dehradun  is the capital city of the state of Uttarakhand in the northern part of India. Located in the Garhwal region, it is 236 km north of India's capital New Delhi and is one of the "Counter Magnets" of the National Capital Region (NCR) being developed as an alternative centre of growth to help ease the migration and population explosion in the Delhi metropolitan area.

Indian Military Academy is an unmatched training institute for the armed foces personnel

Dehradun and education is quite synonymous. The city has been known as “school capital of India” for its world class residential schools which attract students across the globe. During the last decade, Dehradun or Doon has tremendously evolved as a hub for higher education in north India. One has to simply name a genre or stream in which he/she wants to pursue higher education, the options are galore in this capital city of Uttarakhand. From Engineering to Management,Pharmacy to Medicine, Law to Education; every subject has some of the well-known institutes of north India in Dehradun. Uttarakhand was formed in 2000 after parting with Uttar Pradesh and since then, the capital of the 27th State of India has never looked back on the higher education front.

 Apart from the State policies which encourage the establishment of educational institutions, the scenic beauty and weather of the city has also promoted Dehradun as one of the more preferred locations to pursue higher education in the northern belt. The city is flanked by the majestic Himalayan range in the north and the picturesque Shivaliks in the south. The overall package which this city offers to students has made studying in Dehradun quite attractive.

When it comes to schooling, the Doon School, Convent of Jesus and Mary, Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC), Welham Girls School, Welham Boys School, St. Thomas' College,  St. Joseph's Academy are some of the names that come instantly to one’s mind. The city has some of the best coaching institutes for National Defence Academy (NDA) and Combined Defence  Services (CDS) Exams. The prime reason for the city being a coaching hub for Defence Forces Examination is that Doon has one of the oldest Cantonment areas and it has been a retiring spot for the officials of the armed forces. So, many of the well-known coaching institutes are being run by retired officials.

JBIT among city's many engineering colleges

Educational Opportunities 
Educational opportunities are immense and Dehradun has some of the finest colleges imparting education in the fields of Engineering, Management, Pharmacy, Medicine, Sciences, Nursing etc. The Forest Research Institute (established in 1906) is a prestigious institute in the city which apart from being a grand academic centre, is a premier tourist attraction because of its artistic building. The institute has achieved the status of a Deemed University because of its pioneering efforts in the field of Forestry and Environment studies. DAV College of Law is one of the oldest institutes in the city established in 1948. The Institute of Management and Studies is another noteworthy institute in the city, which is  the oldest and the largest management institute in Uttarakhand. Shri Guru Ram Rai Institute of Medical Health and Sciences is a medical college, which is approved by the Government and affiliated to the Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University.

According to a recent survey by Higher Education Department of Uttarakhand government, there has been a threefold increase in the number of engineering and management institutes in Dehradun, in the past eight years. Success of these institutions can be judged by the fact that five of the oldest colleges have been granted status of university by the State government recently. Most of the engineering and management colleges are affiliated to Uttarakhand Technical University Dehradun or HNB Garhwal University, a Central University located in  Shrinagar, 150 km from Doon. The University runs AICTE approved courses through affiliating institutions which are 91 in number. The first batch at HNBGU started in 2006 and now has over 35,000 students..

Another major government university is the Doon University which began its first academic session in 2009. The idea of Doon University draws its elements from modern challenges in the area of excellence in higher education. The university offers postgraduate courses in Environmental Science and Natural Resources, Mass Communication, Social Sciences, Management, Economics and Languages.

Natraj publishers serving the scholars

Engineering
The city is fast becoming a favourite destination for students willing to pursue engineering in different streams. Colleges here offer various undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, the more popular ones being Mechanical, Electronics & Communication, and Computer Science Engineering. There are a number of engineering colleges in Dehradun that are highly specialised such as the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies set up in 2003.

Management 
Doon has witnessed the largest explosion of MBA/Management colleges among any other city in the State and possibly in the country. At present, over 85 colleges are offering different management programmes in the city and its suburbs. While some like DIT, or Doon Business School have gained a name for themselves, many are yet to make  a substantive mark in the said domain.

Medicine
Medical studies is one area which has recently developed in the city of Doon. During the last decade many good colleges imparting medical and paramedical studies have flourished in the city. These institutes boast of students coming in from as far as Jammu & Kashmir and Kerala.

Law
Dehradun is dotted with a number of law colleges, out of which many are well-known for giving in depth understanding of legal issues. A large number of students from States such as Punjab, Haryana and neighbouring Uttar Pradesh join these colleges every year.

Green Market: Student's flock here if they cook

Pharmacy in Dehradun hold an edge over colleges in other parts of the country as they avail the advantage of their proximity to the DoonPharma City. This not only gives students a better opportunity of in-house training but also enhances their chance of campus placement. These institutes offer courses like B.Pharm, D.Pharm and M Pharm. Joining Pharmacy in colleges that are accredited by the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) and approved by AICTE are preferred. Most of the colleges are affiliated to Uttarakhand Technical University.


Unique food habits
Food is something that is not just our basic need but something that gives us joy and happiness. Many people definitely live to eat and it is precisely these people for whom good food is a priority. The food habits in Dehradun are generally of the north Indian type and have a lot of variety. The city being a retirement spot caters to different communities and their varied food habits. So, one can expect anything from south Indian to Gujarati and from Rajasthani  to typical Punjabi style food. The Dehradun cuisine is so appealing that it coerces you to visit it time and again. As the people belong to the hilly region, their food is also very nutritious. It not only suits the energy requirements but is also apt for the cold climate in the region.

Food is often cooked in pure ghee and is high in hot spices such as red chillies. Popular dishes include chainsoo (a dish of black gram dal), ras (a mixture of dals), jholi (a thick gravy with potatoes, tomatoes and other vegetables), kafuli (a spinach dish), and local breads such as chapatis, mandua ki roti and gahat ke paranthe. Chutneys made from sesame seeds, hemp seeds and other local ingredients help perk up the meal. The restaurants in Dehradun offer a wide range of cuisines serving all kinds of people. It doesn’t matter if you are a hardcore non-vegetarian or a vegetarian person, there are bound to be some restaurants that suit your taste. Apart from the restaurants, you can find fast food joints at every nook and corner of the city. These joints serve you local celebrity food such as chowmein, momos, bakery products etc. These food joints also serve various types of soups like the piping hot chicken soup, tomato, and sweet corn soup. Some of the best eating joints can be found at Orient Theatre, Rajpur Road, Karanpur, Prem Nagar, Dharampurand so on.
 

Hospitals and well being
Hospitals are a place which no one would love to visit but for the working professionals over there. But, in a medical emergency, one has to do so. The city has a good number of clinics and hospitals being run by both government and private sector. Many good government hospitals are affordable and at the same time have state-of-the-art equipment. Doon Hospital and Coronation Hospital are situated in the city. While Doon Hospital is on the Court Road, Coronation is on the EC Road. The medical facilities being provided are comparable to private hospitals. Some of the other city hospitals are Combined Medical Institute, Doon Mahila Hospital, Gandhi Shatabdi Eye Hospital, Peshin Hospital, and Shri Mahant Indresh Hospital. Besides, AIIMS in Rishikesh, which is 45 km from Doon is likely to start functioning soon. Apart from conventional hospitals many physiotherapy and rehabilitation clinics are found in Doon. The city is famous for its beauty and as such many beauty clinics are here to welcome you. Same is the case with a number of slimming centres and dental clinics.

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS

Some of the prominent places in and around are:  Mussorie: About 35 km from Dehradun city.  Sahastradhara: The place is a must-watch. It has the water of sulphur spring which is a cure for skin diseases. Malsi Deer Park: Located at the foothills of Shivalik range, Malsi Deer Park is a beautiful tourist place.   Other known places: Robber’s Cave, Tapkeshwar Temple, Lachhiwala, Buddha Temple, Laxman Sidh Temple, Shiv Mandir, and Dehradun Zoo.

Transport
For transportation within and around Dehradun, one can pick from the private bus services, tempos, auto rickshaws and taxis, even though they have a very limited network. The local transport in Dehradun is mainly centred on the bus service and tempos which are more popularly known as Vikram. These are three-wheeler rickshaws that can accommodate eight people at a time and mainly operate on fixed routes in the city. But when it comes to moving to the inner lanes in the city, one has to depend on one’s own vehicle. Remember, because of the hilly region there are no rickshaws that ply on the roads. So, on the whole one can say that a two-wheeler is an inevitable mode of transport especially for students residing far away from college. The city bus stand is located near the Clock Tower which is just a 20 minutes’ walk from Dehradun Railway Station. It is the central point and covers almost all areas in Dehradun.


Part-time work options
When it comes to part-time work opportunities, Dehradun is one city which has a good number of such options. The chances of successful openings may not come quickly and readily but smart searching certainly brings in fruitful results. There are many Non Government Organisations (NGO’s) working in and around Dehradun which are actively working in the field of biodiversity, wildlife, education, health and Himalayas etc. So, students can work for them on a part-time basis. Apart from this, the other sector is the Information Technology Enabled Services or ITES. This is one area which has seen an exponential growth in the last five years. Students can find many call centres in and around Dehradun where they can work. Recently, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM) ranked Dehradun third in the list of 3-Tier cities which have shown a remarkable growth in employment opportunities. The other sectors which offer good opportunities are academics, banking, insurance and automobiles. These have been the growing sectors in Dehradun for the last five years. 
 

ACCOMMODATION

This is certainly one area which needs systemic improvement in Dehradun. There are very few government or private hostels, especially for boys. Organised paying guest (PG) facilities are very few. Maximum hostels which provide PG facilities are around the educational institutes being run by private owners.  - Recently, a few colleges and institutions have also stepped into the arena of providing accommodation to students.  - Apart from PGs and hostels, a large number of families in and around Dehradun also give rooms on rent. Areas which provide housing facilities are usually near the institution premises. Some of the major areas where students can get good accommodation are Karanpur, DL Road, EC Road, Survey Chowk, Shastradhara Road, Dharampur, Prem Nagar, Mianwala, Vasant Vihar, - Jakhan. Rajpur Road, Raiwala Road, Deal Area etc. The best way to search for accommodation in Dehradun could be the local classifieds in the newspapers or even the internet. Every Sunday, the classifieds are flooded with advertisements of rooms available on rent.  - Apart from this, the other method to search a room in the locality you have short listed to live, is to go door-to door. This could be the cheapest way but certainly not a very convenient one.

Social mores
Dehradun is not just famous in the world for its scintillating surroundings and mesmerising beauty but it is also known across the globe for its rich culture and heritage. “Unity in diversity” holds the true meaning for Dehradun culture as the city is home to four major world religions – Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. The city’s culture is unique, colourful and famous for its tradition, hospitality, liveliness and generousity. The culture of Dehradun has played a key role in the development of the city which weaves together its cuisine, festivals, music, literature, art and so on making it stand out distinctively. Fairs and festivals are the best way to display the rich culture in Dehradun. A few of the major festivals and fairs in Dehradun are Jhanda fair, Tapkeshwar Fair, Bissu Fair and Uttarakhand Mahotsav. Sports and outdoor adventure activities also contribute to the city’s character. The city along with Auli, recently hosted the South Asian Winter Games.


Student’s hangout spots
Rajpur Road that begins right from Clock Tower is one road in the city which attracts lots of students in the evening. Many tea shops and fast food joints offering yummy  momos, chowmein and bun-tikki add to the serenity of this road. Deer-park and Mussorie road till Shiv Mandir is also one stretch (about 10 km), that has lots of fast food joints, juice corners’ and soup parlours along with the ever green trees on both sides of the road.


The Fashion Fiesta
Doon has always been known to lead the race of fashion. From mid-range copy-cat brands to bustling designer stuff, you will have all kind of takers in this city. So, the students have a lot of options when it comes to shopping. The mid-range market destination popular among the student community is Tibetan Market just opposite to the Parade Ground. Walking 5 minutes from here will take you to Indira Market which is much more organised and has lot of variety from apparels to accessories. Of course, one should not forget Rajpur Road which has almost all the leading brand stores.   

COST OF LIVING

Dehradun being a hill city is not a cheap place to live in. Cost of living Index, if not more, would be almost equal to Delhi. For instance, the rentals for a single room set (1 room, small kitchen & toilet) would be anywhere around Rs. 4,000-5,000 per month. Moreover, if you move towards a more furnished room it would cost you around Rs. 6,000 per month.  The private hostels in Dehradun charge anywhere between Rs. 7,000-9,000 for a room shared by two. In this amount, food is also included which is of fixed menu type. If a student moves toward some of the older areas of the city like Karanpur, DL Road, College Road and Gurudwara Road the rentals are down by about 20% but compromises have to be made. Compromises could be like smaller space, no parking available even for two-wheelers, and hygiene etc. Since many of the institutes are located at a distance from the city centre, students generally own two-wheelers which add to the expenses.  Generally, Dehradun is a fast-food city. So, students living in a particular area have to scout for a good hotel of their choice. Food is bit costlier as compared to other smaller cities. Fast foods like chowmein, momos, burgers and bun-tikki are readily available. Dehradun is also known for its fashion. The latest trendy clothes are available in the local markets like Indira Market, Tibetan Market, Ghanta Ghar etc. For branded clothes you can just walk down to Rajpur Road where you can see all the big brands

UNIQUE INSTITUTIONS

Forest Research Institute Forest Research Institute is one of the oldest institutions of its kind, and acclaimed the world over.  Being the only university dedicated solely to Forestry, FRI offers courses in MSc (Forestry),  MSc (Environment Management), MSc (Wood Science & Technology) and MSc (Cellulose & Paper Technology) Ten SAARC Fellowships are also available for all MSc programmes. National Institute for the Visually Handicapped The National Institute for the Visually Handicapped (NIVH) at Dehradun is an apex body in the field of education and rehabilitation of the Visually Handicapped in India under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India.  NIVH is the most important centre in the country for education and training of the visually handicapped. The institute occupies 43 acres of land on the Mussoorie-Dehradun Highway.  Wildlife Institute of India Established in 1982, Wildlife Institute of India (WII) is an internationally acclaimed institution, which offers training programme, academic courses and advisory in wildlife research and management. The Institute is actively engaged in research across the length and breadth of the country on biodiversity related issues.  Indian Institute of Remote Sensing Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIR), formerly known as Indian Photo-Interpretation Institute (IPI), was set up in 1966 under the aegis of the Survey of India to provide comprehensive training with hands-on experience of the emerging technologies. The institute offers MSc in Geoinformatics; MSc in Natural Hazards & Disaster Risk Management and M.Tech in Remote Sensing and GIS applications.  Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology Established in June, 1968 as a small nucleus in two rooms of the Botany Department at Delhi University, the Institute was shifted to Dehradun during April, 1976. It was renamed as the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology in memory of its founder- the late Prof. DN Wadia (FRS and National Professor), in appreciation of his contribution to geology of the Himalayas. During the last quarter century, the Institute has grown into a centre of excellence in Himalayan Geology and is recognised as a National Laboratory of International repute which is well equipped and has other infra structural facilities for undertaking advance level of research in the country.

CITY FACTS
State: Uttrakhand  
Distance: 255 km from New Delhi  
Journey Time by road: 5 hours  
Location: set in the foot hills of Himalayas at the centre of 120 km long Doon Valley  
Climate: Summer up to 40°C, Winter up to 02-20°C