Dehra Dunis the interim capital of Uttarakhand, a state in the north India. The population of the whole district is around 1.3 million, while Dehra Dun proper has 0.5 million people living in it. Its coordinates are Latitude: 30° 19' 0 N, Longitude: 78° 1' 60 E. Dehra Dun proper is a valley between the Shivalik (sub-Himalayas) range in the south and lower Himalayas in the north. In the east and west it is roughly bounded by two best known rivers in India, the Ganga and the Yamuna respectively. Two famous hill towns called Mussoorie and Chakrata and a holy city Rishikesh are in this district.
Apart from the boring hard facts about Dehra Dun there are some interesting tidbits or trivia that would engage the readers
The Doon School, the most renowned boys boarding school in India, came into being in 1935. Astley and Tyldesley Sheds It has been called the Eton of the East by some of its admirers.
WelhamGirls High School, the most renowned girls boarding school in India, that came into being in 1957 is also situated here.
George Everest once lived in Mussoorie in the Everest house, and world's tallest mountain peak is named after him.
This is a place where the doughty 'Gurkhas' were discovered by the British in 1815 when their commander Balbhadar fought to the last man against the British forces lead by Brigadier General Gillespie. The British were so impressed by their bravery that they started recruiting the Gurkhas in the Royal British Army. This battle of Khalinga is commemorated in a monument on Sahastradhara Road, about 4 kilometres from the clock tower.
The Beatles came to Rishikesh in 1968. The foursome along with their troupe and others stayed here for different periods of time from February onwards. During their stay they were taught tabla, a popular Indian percussion instrument, by Sardarji, the owner of Pratap Music House in Astley Hall in Dehra Dun. And when one of the Beatles (perhaps George Harrison) visited Pratap Music House, he was mobbed by the fans.
Dehradun is the place associated with celebrated Indian authors. Vikram Seth taught at the Doon School, while Amitav Ghosh was a student at the Doon School.
Ruskin Bond, the famous Indian author of the British descent who writes mainly for the children but is read by the children and adults alike, lives in Mussoorie, but he often descends to Dehradun.
Nayantara Sahgal, the illustrios Indian author of English and the winner of the Sinclair Prize, 1985, inaugural Commonwealth Writers Prize, 1987 also lives here.
Similarly, I. Allan Sealy, the famous Anglo-Indian author and also the winner of the Commonwealth Writers Prize (Eurasia region) in the first book category, whose monumental work the Trotternama has been a defining book in the genre of Indian writing in English lives in Dehradun.