Located in the Garhwal Region of Uttarakhand and furnishing as the state capital, Dehradun is a city nestled betwixt the foothills of the Himalayas to its north and the Shivalik Mountain Ranges to its south. Placed about 255 km to the north of New Delhi, Dehradun is approved as one of the ‘Counter Magnets’ of the National Capital Region and is undergoing a speedy development. The city derives its name from two words Dehra and Dun. The word Dehra has been deduced from the word ‘Dera’ which means ‘Camp’, while Dun finds its origin from the word ‘Doon’ which refers to the ‘Doon Valley’ where Dehradun is stationed. Baba Ram Rai, the son of Guru Har Rai, the 7th Guru of Sikhism arrived here along with his followers and established a camp for their dwelling. In this way he marked the onset of the development of the human habitat here which gradually grew up into a city. The word ‘Dehra’ was linked with ‘Doon’ and the town was named Dehradun.

Dehradun, one of the oldest cities of the country is a home to every possible elegant, vivacious and cheerful aspect of nature. Perched in the lap of the Himalayas, this renowned hill station is adored for its picturesque landscapes marked with deep ravines, surging brooks, flower carpeted valleys, lofty snow capped mountain ranges, winding roads, fruit orchards, swaying pines and profuse natural resources. Two of the most sacred rivers of India; Ganga and Yamuna flow to the east and the west of Dehradun, respectively. It is also a gateway to some of the most sought after Himalayan tourist destinations namely Mussoorie, Auli and Nainital as well as two of the Holy Cities of Hinduism; Rishikesh and Haridwar. Moreover, Dehradun also suffices as the entry point for trekking and mountaineering expeditions into the Himalayas. Widely reckoned and one of the most visited summer resorts since British Era, this city is now acknowledged as a popular hill station and a most preferred tourists’ destination both for domestic and international travelers.

Apart from being a leading tourist hub, Dehradun has also made up a mark in the educational field as well. This city is a proud harbor of some of the preeminent educational institutes of the country such as Forest Research Institute, Indian Military Academy and a number of highly reputed boarding schools. Dehradun is also a home to several national foundations namely Indian Institute of Petroleum, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Wildlife Institute of India, Indian Institute of Petroleum and so on.

The mythological history of Dehradun leads us back to the era of Ramayana and Mahabharata. It is said that after the victorious battle against the demon king Ravana, Lord Rama along with his brother Lakshmana had paid a visit to this region. It is further believed that Dehradun is the very locale where Dronacharya, the royal Guru of Kauravas and Pandavas and the expert in all kinds of military arts, was born and brought up. Ancient temples and idols excavated around Dehradun and estimated to be over 2000 years old testify these mythological references. Moreover, the literature, local traditions and customs even vouch for these mythical citations. It is believed that after the great battle of Mahabharata, the Pandavas, i.e. the rulers of Hastinapur held this region under their domain.

The 7th century travelogues of a Chinese traveler named Huen Chang describes this region as ‘Sudhnagar’, which later came to be known by the name ‘Kaalsi’. Edicts of Ashoka found along the banks of the river Yamuna in the Kaalsi province indicate the wealth and importance of this territory in ancient India. Ruins and relics discovered in the neighboring precinct named Haripur are dated back to the domain of King Rasala and sing the sagas of the region's prosperity. Mahmud of Ghazni invaded Dehradun during his campaigns in India and later, Taimooralang plundered this vicinity in the year 1368. Dehradun underwent more invasions subsequently in the year 1757 by Ruahela Njibuddulo and in 1785 AD by Ghulam Qadir.

In 1806 AD, Prithvi Narayan Shah; the king of Nepal united Dehradun with his Nepali Kingdom, but eventually from 1814 to 1816, at the time of the war between British East India Company and Nepal, several regions of Nepal including Dehradun were handed over to the British East India Company under the ‘Sugauli Treaty’. From 1816 AD, Dehradun was under the British jurisdiction that colonized it to such an extent that even today, the marks of British Colonization are not erased. Dehradun was involved in the Garhwal Mandal in 1970 AD. Talking about the modern history of Dehradun, in the year 2000, when the new state named Uttarakhand was formed, Dehradun was made its provisional capital. Dehradun has retained its status till today and has recorded tremendous amount of all round development.