30°30′N 78°30′E / 30.5°N 78.5°E / 30.5; 78.5
32-451: Dehradun district ( pronunciation ) is a district in Garhwal which is a part of Uttarakhand state in northern India . The district headquarters is Dehradun , which has also served as the interim capital of Uttarakhand since its founding in 2000. The district has 6 tehsils , 6 community development blocks, 17 towns and 764 inhabited villages, and 18 unpopulated villages. As of 2011, it
64-665: A literacy rate of 85.24%. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 13.48% and 6.57% of the population respectively. Languages of Dehradun district (2011) At the 2011 census, 60% of the district's population identified their first language as Hindi , 17% reported being speakers of Garhwali , 7.4% opted for Jaunsari , 3.8% chose Urdu , 3.4% – Punjabi , 3.3% – Nepali , 1.1% – Kumaoni , 0.87% – Bhojpuri , 0.58% – Tibetan , and 0.55% – Bengali . 1. Dehradun 2. Rishikesh 3. Vikasnagar 4. Mussoorie 1. Doiwala 2. Selakui 3. Chakrata 4. Herbertpur 5. Dakpathar 6. Sahaspur 7. Harrawala Dehradun district
96-529: Is a part of Garhwal region , therefore local culture has been dominant in the district over the past decade. Apart from Garhwali, other languages spoken in the region are Jaunsari, Hindi and English. Blue buses (privately owned and operated) in addition to 3 wheelers are the main mode of transport in the city. Dehradun finds itself split across two central electoral constituencies- Tehri Garhwal (including Mussoorie) and Pauri Garhwal (including Haridwar, Rishikesh). Garhwal division Garhwal (IPA: /ɡəɽʋːɔɭ/)
128-549: Is one of the two administrative divisions of the Indian state of Uttarakhand . Lying in the Himalayas , it is bounded on the north by Tibet , on the east by Kumaon , on the south by Uttar Pradesh state, and on the northwest by Himachal Pradesh state. It includes the districts of Chamoli , Dehradun , Haridwar , Pauri Garhwal , Rudraprayag , Tehri Garhwal , and Uttarkashi . The people of Garhwal are known as Garhwali and speak
160-624: Is the second most populous district of Uttarakhand (out of 13 ), after Haridwar . Dehradun district also includes the prominent towns of Rishikesh , Mussoorie , Landour and Chakrata . The district stretches from the Ganges river in the east to the Yamuna river in the west, and from the Terai and Shivaliks in the south and southeast to the Great Himalaya in the northwest. During the days of British Raj ,
192-510: Is the third highest in Uttarakhand after Haridwar (33.16%) and Udham Singh Nagar (33.40%). The district has a gender ratio of 902 as against a state average of 963. This has however improved from 887 in the 2001 census. The population density is 550, again the 3rd highest after Haridwar(817) and Udham Singh Nagar (648). The state average is 189. The literacy rate is the highest in the state at 85.24% (90.32 for males, 79.61 for females) According to
224-540: The 2011 census Dehradun district has a population of 1,698,560, roughly equal to the nation of Guinea-Bissau or the US state of Idaho . This gives it a ranking of 290th in India (out of a total of 640 ). The district has a population density of 550 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,400/sq mi). Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 32.48%. Dehradun has a sex ratio of 902 females for every 1000 males, and
256-627: The Garhwali language . The administrative center for Garhwal division is the town of Pauri . The Divisional Commissioner is the administrative head of the Division, and is a senior Indian Administrative Service officer. As the administrative head of the division, the Commissioner is overall incharge of the 7 districts in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, and is aided in his duties by an additional commissioner and
288-454: The Indian army (the 39th Garhwal Rifles) were recruited in the district, which contained the military cantonment of Lansdowne. Grain and coarse cloth were exported, and salt , borax , livestock and wool were imported. Trade with Tibet was considerable. The administrative headquarters was at the village of Pauri , but Srinagar was the largest city. It was an important mart, as was Kotdwara ,
320-615: The Garhwal Kingdom. He and his ancestors ruled over Garhwal and the adjacent state of Tehri-Garhwal , in an uninterrupted line till 1803, when the Gurkhas invaded Kumaon and Garhwal, driving the Garhwal chief into the plains. For 12 years the Gurkhas ruled the country with an iron rod, until a series of encroachments by them on British territory led to the Gurkha War in 1814. At the termination of
352-565: The Garhwalis during the Gurkha invasion, in the early 19th century. The earliest ruling dynasty of Garhwal known is of the Katyuris . The Katyuri Raja of Uttarakhand ( Kumaon and Garhwal ) was styled 'Sri Basdeo Giriraj Chakara Churamani'. The earliest traditions record that the possessions of Joshimath Katyuris in Garhwal extended from Satluj as far as Gandaki and from the snows to plains, including
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#1732859599581384-518: The Mahabharata. The Pandavas held influence over the region after the battle of the Mahabharata and the area was ruled by the descendants of Subahu as administrators under the Kuru Kingdom at Hastinapura . The discovery of Ashokan edicts at Kalsi near Dehradun show that the area was quite prosperous. Huen Tsang also observed Kalsi as Sudhanagara in the 7th century AD. Archaeological remains from
416-590: The Skanda Purana and the Mahabharata in the Van Parva . Skanda Purana defines the boundaries and extend of this holy land. It also finds mention in the 7th-century travelogue of Huen Tsang . However, it is with Adi Shankaracharya that the name of Garhwal will always be linked, for the great 8th-century spiritual reformer visited the remote, snow-laden heights of Garhwal, established a Joshimath and restored some of
448-403: The agriculture, tourism and the defence industry. Native to 2.8 million people, Hindi has official status and is widely used in administration and education. Garhwali , spoken by about 2.3 million people as of the 2011 census, is the majority language in all but the two southern districts of Haridwar and Dehradun, where the language with the largest proportion of speakers according to the census
480-605: The area after defeating Ravana , the Rakshasa king of Lanka . The area is also linked to Dronacharya , the guru of the Kauravas and Pandavas in the Mahabharata . The area of Rishikesh is mentioned in the Skanda Purana as having been given to rishis (sages) by Lord Vishnu after killing the asuras Madhu-Kaitabha and their companions who tormented the rishis. Ancient temples, statues and archaeological remains have been found at
512-509: The area in disarray till 1801. The British captured the area in 1816 and founded the cities of Landour and Mussourie in 1827–28. The district was added to the Garhwal division in the 1970s. It was established as the capital of Uttarakhand after the establishment of the state as Uttaranchal in the year 2000. As of the 2011 Census of India , Dehradun district has highest population (1,698,560) in Uttarakhand. The Decadal growth rate has jumped up from 25% (1991–2001) to 32.48% (2001–2011). This
544-419: The area resulted in widespread damage and over 5,000 deaths. It was India's worst natural disaster insofar as death toll since the 2004 tsunami . The majority of the inhabitants are Garhwalis . The culture of the present Garhwal is an amalgamation of influences from the indigenous population coupled with traditions superimposed by immigrants who settled in the region. A majority of the people are involved in
576-578: The campaign, Garhwal and Kumaon were converted into British districts, while the Tehri principality was restored to a son of the former chief. The British district of Garhwal was in the Kumaon Division of the United Provinces , and had an area of 5,629 sq mi (14,580 km ). After annexation, Garhwal rapidly advanced in material prosperity. IN 1901 the population was 429,900. Two battalions of
608-619: The district magistrates. Sushil Kumar is the divisional commissioner of the Garhwal Division since December 2021. The Garhwal Himalayas appear to have been a favourite locale for the voluminous mythology of the Puranic period. The traditional name of Garhwal was kedarkhand means "the land of God". Excavations have revealed that it formed part of the Mauryan Empire . The earliest reference regarding Garhwal and its pride spots are cited in
640-507: The district was a narrow strip of waterless forest between the southern slopes of the hills and the fertile plains of Rohilkhand . The highest mountains are in the eastern Chamoli district , the principal peaks being Nanda Devi 7,816 m (25,643 ft), Kamet 7,756 m (25,446 ft), Chaukhamba 7,138 m (23,419 ft), Trisul 7,120 m (23,360 ft), Dunagiri 7,066 m (23,182 ft), and Kedarnath 6,940 m (22,769 ft). The Alaknanda River , one of
672-466: The important principalities in that period was that of Parmars, who held their sway over Chandpur Garhi or Fortress. Katyuris ruled Uttarakhand up to the 11th century and in certain pockets even after their decline. Kanak Pal was progenitor of this dynasty. Raja Ajay Pal, a scion of the Parmars in the 14th century is credited with having brought these chiefs under his rule. After his conquest Ajay Pal's domain
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#1732859599581704-514: The main sources of the Ganges , receives with its affluents the whole drainage of the district. At Devprayag the Alaknanda joins the Bhagirathi , and thenceforward the united streams bear the name of the Ganges . Cultivation is principally confined to the immediate vicinity of the rivers, which are employed for irrigation. In June 2013 a multi-day cloudburst centered in the mountainous valleys of
736-572: The major agricultural crops. The region was seized as a war spoil from the Maharaja of Tehri-Garhwal as a consequence of the Gurkha War of 1814–16, and attached administratively to Saharanpur District to its immediate south, which was already in British hands. Dehradun includes various Puranic stories and cultures. It is mentioned in the Ramayana that Lord Rama , along with brother Lakshmana , came to
768-492: The most sacred shrines, including Badrinath and Kedarnath . The history of Garhwal as a unified whole began in the 15th century, when king Ajai Pal merged the 52 separate principalities, each with its own garh or fortress. For 300 years, Garhwal remained one kingdom, with its capital at Srinagar (on the left bank of Alaknanda river ). Then Pauri and Dehradun were perforce ceded to the Crown as payment for British help, rendered to
800-770: The official name of the district was Dehra Dun . 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. Dehradun is located 230 km from the national capital, Delhi . The National Oil and Natural Gas Corporation , Survey of India , and many educational institutions like Doon University , Uttrakhand Technical Institute, Indian Institute of Petroleum, Uttaranchal University, Forest Research Institute , Wildlife Institute of India , Rashtriya Indian Military College and Indian Military Academy are also situated here. Basmati rice, tea and litchi orchards are some of
832-463: The sites in and around the area that are mentioned in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. These remains have been dated to be approximately 2000 years old. The location of the area, the ancient traditions and customs still followed here, folk songs coming down from generations, and their contemporaneous literature point to the fact that the area witnessed various events during the periods of the Ramayana and
864-871: The support the British gave them in driving back the Gurhkas. During the Second World War , the Raja Narendra Shah contributed his troops and aircraft to the British war effort. In recognition for his services, the British gave him the title of "Maharaja", made him a Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India (KCSI) and knighted him. Thus his full title was Sir Maharaja Narendra Shah KCSI. The region consists almost entirely of rugged mountain ranges running in all directions and separated by narrow valleys, which in some cases become deep gorges or ravines. The only level portion of
896-502: The terminus of a branch of the Oudh and Rohilkhand railway from Najibabad . During the turn of the 19th century, the Gurkhas attacked Garhwal and drove the rulers of Garhwal down to the plains (Rishikesh, Haridwar, DehraDun). Pradyumna Shah died fighting at the battle of Khurbura . Thereafter the rulers of Garhwal took the help of the British forces in India and regained their kingdom. The rulers of Garhwal gave away 60% of their kingdom for
928-667: The time of Raja Rasal have been found at Haripur near Kalsi . The area was attacked by Mahmud Ghaznavi , Timur in 1368. Guru Ram Rai, the errant eldest son of the seventh Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Har Rai, established his 'Dera' (camp) in the Dun Doon Valley around 1676 and the town that grew around this 'Dera' has come to be known as 'Dehradun'. He founded his own Udasi Panth (sect) and received support from Aurangzeb. Rohilla chieftain Najib ad-Dawlah in 1757 and Ghulam Kadir in 1785. This kept
960-455: The whole of Rohilkhand . Tradition gives the origin of their Raj at Joshimath in the north near Badrinath and subsequent migration to Katyur Valley in Almora district, where a city called Kartikeyapura was founded. Katyuris ruled Uttarakhand up to the 11th century and in certain pockets even after their decline. In Garhwal their disruption brought into existence 52 independent chiefs. One of
992-582: Was Hindi . Other languages with large numbers of speakers are Urdu (250,000, mostly in Haridwar and Dehradun), Jaunsari (140,000 people mostly in the Jaunsar–Bawar region of Dehradun), Nepali (86,000 speakers, with the largest concentration in Dehradun), and Punjabi (76,000, mostly in Dehradun). The set of indigenous languages also includes Mahasu Pahari (found in the north-western district of Uttarkashi in
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1024-406: Was recognised as Garhwal owing to exuberance of forts. It is possible that after annexing all principalities, Raja Ajay Pal must have become famous as Garhwala, the owner of forts. With the passage of time his kingdom came to be known as Garhwal. Garhwal Kingdom was founded by Parmars . Nearly 700 years ago, one of these chiefs, Ajai Pal, reduced all the minor principalities under him and founded
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