Places to visit in the city Dehradoon
FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE - Dehradoon
 On the Kaulagarh Road, northwest of the city center
is the Forest Research Institute. Established by the
British in 1906, the institute is dedicated to the
preservation of India//’s varied and much threatened
flora and fauna. Located in extensive grounds covered
with myriad species of India//’s forest wealth, it
is the biggest forest based product-training institute
and the training school for all forest officers in
India. With the Mussoorie ridge as its backdrop, the institute
is home to six museums that are open to the public
on weekdays. The museums have on display some of the
best species of flora and fauna to be found in India.
They also house wood samples, insects, furniture,
wildlife and even few stuffed animals along with a
library and bookshop. The institute is one of the
best in the world on the science of forestry and covers
almost all the aspects related to forests and wildlife
in India.
ROBBER’S CAVE - Dehradoon
 Also known as Guchu Pani and situated at a distance
of eight kilometres from the city center, Robber’s
cave is a beautiful picnic spot. Here you can have
a look at one of the nature’s strange phenomena; a
stream of water goes underground and reappears a few
meters away. The cave is surrounded by hills and is
a beautiful getaway for those looking for peace and
quiet of the hills. Buses are available up to the
nearby Anarwala village from where the caves are only
a kilometer away.
TAPOVAN - Dehradoon
 Tapovan is a sacred site about five kilometres from
the city centre on the Dehradun-Rajpur Road. The place
is located in the picturesque Doon valley and according
to popular belief Guru Dronacharya, the teacher of
warfare to the Kauravas and Pandavas, underwent his
penance here.
TAPKESHWAR TEMPLE - Dehradoon
 Situated in the Garhi Cantonment area, 5.5 km from
the city centre is the Tapkeshwar Mahadev temple.
It is a cave temple on the banks of a seasonal river
dedicated to Lord Shiva and is the only significant
temple in Dehradun. Beside the river are steps that
lead to a cave in which water drips from the ceiling
on a shivling. It is after this dripping of water
that the temple has got its name //’Tapkeshwar//’.
Legends associate this temple with the time of the
Mahabharata when, it is believed, Lord Shiva made
milk to flow from this cave for Ashwathama, the son
of Guru Dronacharya, the teacher of both Kauravas
and Pandavas.
DAKPATHAR - Dehradoon
 Dakpathar is 45 km away from Dehradun in the western
Doon valley. The Yamuna Hydel Scheme, with its lush
green lawns and blooming gardens, has become a major
tourist attraction in the region. Adding to the grandeur
of the place are the vast stretches of the Yamuna
and the ragged Shivalik range. Arrangements can be
made for a stay in the tourist bungalow there, which
commands a beautiful view of the area. There are regular
buses from the Parade Ground and Highway Bus Stand,
Dehradun to this charming place. Five kilometres ahead
of Dakpathar is Kalsi, famous for an Ashokan pillar
with inscription in Devanagri on it. This Pillar is
preserved by the Archaeological Survey of India. An
Ashokan Rock edict, built in 450 BC, is also situated
here. |
