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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 corruption of dera 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 Dhanawala. 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
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 .
History
According to Skanda Purana, Dun formed part of the region called
Kedar Khand. It was included in the kingdom of Ashoka by the end of
the 3rd century B.C. It is revealed by history that for centuries
the region formed part of the Garhwal kingdom with some interruption
from Rohillas. For about two decades till 1815 it was under the
occupation of the Gorkhas. In April 1815 Gorkhas were ousted from
Garhwal region and Garhwal was annexed by the British. In that year
the area now comprising tehsil Dehra Dun was added to district
Saharanpur. In 1825, however, it was transferred to the Kumaon
Division. In 1828, Dehra Dun and Jaunsar Bhabar were placed under
the charge of a separate Deputy Commissioner and in 1829, the Dehra
Dun district was transferred from the Kumaon Division to the Meerut
Division. In 1842, Dun was attached to Saharanpur district and
placed under an officer subordinate to the Collector of the district
but since 1871 it is being administered as separate district. In
1968 the district was taken out from Meerut division and included in
the Garhwal Division.
Languages
Main languages spoken in the district are Hindu, Sindhi, Punjabi,
Garhwali, Kumaoni Urdu & English.
Topography
Dehra Dun can be divided into two distinct tracts i.e. the montane
tract and the sub-montane tract. The montane tract covers whole
Chakrata tehsil of the district and consists entirely of a
succession of mountains and gorges and comprises Jaunsar Bhabar. The
mountains are very rough with steep slopes. The most important
features of the tract is the ridge which separates the drainage are
of Tons on the west from that of Yamuna on the east. Below the
montane tract follows the sub-montane tract, which is the famous Dun
valley bounded by Shivalik hills in the south and outer scarp of the
Himalayas in the north.
Forests
Dehra Dun is distinguished from most other districts in the state by
the existence of very large forests chiefly stocked with sal. Forest
products play an important role in the economy of the district.
Besides, supplying fuel, fodder, bamboos and medicinal herbs, they
also yield a variety of products like honey, lac, gum, resin,
catechu, wax, horns and hides. The forests account for 1477 sq.kms
of area, giving a percentage of 43.70 of the total area of the
district. Owing to the variation in altitudes and other aspects, the
flora of the district vary from tropical to alpine species.
Different types of forests and varying species of shrubs, climbing
plants and grasses, depending upon the aspect, altitude and soil
condition are found in the district. Sal forest and coniferous
forests are predominant in the western part of tehsil Dehra Dun.
Chir is the only coniferous species in the old reserved forests of
Dehra Dun. Besides other associates of chir, a few deodar trees are
also seen in the district. Wide ranges of sal forest occur in this
part of the tehsil. Sal is the main timber species and is generally
pure towards the Siwalik ridges. A mixture of miscellaneous species
are found in the lower parts. In the eastern part of tehsil Dehra
Dun, the flora may be divided into a number of Botanical divisions
mentioned below :
Moist Siwalik Sal Forests :
These forests are found in the Motichur and Thano forest ranges. Low
quality of sal is found in these forests. The main associates of sal
are bakli and sain.
Moist Bhabar Doon Sal Forests :
These forests are found in a large areas in Thano and Barkot forest
ranges. Sal is pure in the overwood and its typical associates are
sain and dhauri. the underwood growth includes karaunda and chameli.
West gangetic Moist Deciduous Forests :
These are found in the Kansro, Barkot, Motichur and Thano forest
ranges. These are closed forests from medium to good height. The
main associates of sal are safed siris, jhingan, bohera and dhauri.
Dry Siwalik Sal Forests :
These forests are found on the higher slopes of Siwaliks. In
Chakrata tehsil they occur near the junction of the Tons and the
Yamuna rivers in the neighborhood of Kalsi. Sal is the predominant
species mixed with other associates viz. bakli, sain, haldu, jhingan
etc. Besides the above many other types of forests occur in small
belts in the plain of the district.
Rivers, Canales and Waterways
The Siwalik (outer and lower ranges of Himalayas) lies at its feet,
the outer- scrap of the Himalayas bound it on the north and the
scared Ganga and the Yamuna skirt in on the east and the west
respectively. The Ganga enters the district in the eastern Dun at
Tapoban and meandering south-west goes to Hardwar via Raiwala near
Rishikesh. The Yamuna enters the district in Jaunsar and flows
southwards for about 32 kms on the south-east border of the
district. Besides Ganga and yamuna, the other rivers that flow in
the district are Asan, Suswa, Tons, Rispana, Bindal and Amalava.
Climate & Rainfall in Dehradun District
The Climate of the district is generally temperate. It varies
greatly from tropical to severe cold depending upon the altitude of
the area. The district being hilly, temperature variations due to
difference in elevation are considerable. In the hilly regions, the
summer is pleasant, but in the Doon, the heat is often intense,
although not to such degree as in the plains of the adjoining
district. The temperature drops below freezing point not only at
high altitude but even at places like Dehradun during the winters,
when the higher peaks are also under snow. The area receives an
average annual rainfall of 2073.3 mm. Most of the annual rainfall in
the district is received during the months from June to September,
July and August being rainiest. Climate Data of Doon Valley for all
the months is as under on the basis of mean of last 25 years. |
