The district of Dehradun, nestled in the foothills of the
Himalayas, is one of the oldest cities of India and the provisional capital of
Uttaranchal. It is situated in the north-west corner of the state. The total geographical area is 3,088 sq km. The main languages spoken are
Hindi,
Sindhi,
Punjabi, Garhwali and
Urdu.
The climate is generally temperate and it varies greatly from tropical to severe cold depending upon the altitude of the area. The
Ganges and
Yamuna are the major rivers. Paddy is the most important food crop. The important fruits cultivated are mango,
guava, peach, grape, strawberry, pear, lemon and litchi.
The major fairs and festivals are the Jhanda Fair, Tapkeshwar Mela,
Laxman Sidhha Fair, Bissu Fair, and
Mahasu Devta's Fair. The major attractions are
Chandrabani Temple,
Lakha Mandal Temple,
Dakpathar,
Mausoleum of Ram Rai Darbar,
Laxman Sidh and Rajaji National Park.
