Apart from capturing the moments of awesome natural beauty of Dehradun, tourists to this hill station can find a number of notable places to visit. The natural surroundings are perfect for some exciting trekking expeditions and adventure sports like mountain climbing and rock climbing; however for those who want to have a calm holiday, spending the days by sightseeing is a lucrative option and opportunities for which can be found in plenty.

The sightseeing places consist of war memorials, forts, museums and temples. Weaved intricately in the history of the place, all of them are great contributors in making Dehradun famous as a hot tourist destination. The places worthy of a visit include The Museum, the Gurkha Fort, Clock Tower, Ram Rai Gurudwara, Tapkeshwar Temple, Tapovan, Sai Darbar Temple, Jaspal Rana Shooting Range, Rashtriya Indian Military College, Tiger View Jungle Camp and RIMC Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology.

However there are certain places which deserve a special mention. Among them the first in importance is the Kalinga War Memorial. This war memorial was built by the British as a mark of respect towards their enemies, the Gorkhas. This is one of its kinds in the entire world.

The next important place is a renowned Buddhist Monastery named Mindrolling Monastery. This is followed by the Chetwoode Hall which is a fine museum and houses military artifacts dating back to the 20th century.

If you are in mood of a picnic, then there are two fine places. One is Sahastradhara Spring and the other Robber’s Cave also known as Guchu Pani. The water of Sahastradhara Spring consists of sulphur and is believed to have medicinal values. It is situated 14 kilometers away from Dehradun, while Robber’s Cave is located at a distance of eight kilometers from the city centre.

Kalinga War Memorial

The city is famous for Basmati rice (high quality fragrant rice), tea, mango, and lichi gardens. Dehradun is particularly known for schools and institutions of all India fame. Survey of India, where Sir George Everest had measured Mount Everest is also located in Dehradun. Forest Research Institute and Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy are also situated in Dehradun.

This city has a hilly terrain but is not an unexplored hill station. Now it has developed as a full-fledged city with lots of houses, offices, farm houses, apartments. A lot of trekking is possible in the nearby hills.

War Memorial of Kalinga

The famous tourist spots are Sahastradhara, Tapkeshwar temple, Laxman Siddh, Malsi Deer Park, and Chandrabani. Kalinga War Memorial is also a unique kind of war memorial. War memorials are all same and there are thousands of war memorials in the world. However, Kalinga War memorial is special.

Kalinga War Memorial, standing on Sahastradhara road is a one-of-a-kind war memorial in the entire globe as it was set up by army to keep a remembrance of its opponent group/enemies. Yes it’s true that Kalinga War Memorial was erected by British Army in memory of its opponent Gorkha Regiment.

Kalinga War memorial was constructed after the Anglo-Gorkha war and that is the reason why it is called “Gorkha war memorial”. The Anglo-Gorkha war was fought between the British Army and Nepal’s Gorkha soldiers in 1814. The Gorkhas from Nepal invaded the Garhwal region. They captured the Kalinga fort in Nalapani but could not finally overtake the territory from the British Army.

Although the Gorkhas were not able to win the Garhwal region and had to retreat back their bravery and courage immensely impressed the Britishers. It is said that the Gorkhas were protecting the fort for six weeks without water and food. They were determined to fight till the last. Hence forth the British Army started recruiting a number of Gorkhas in its army.

To show their admiration for Gorkha’s courage and valiance the Britishers erected the Kalinga War memorial. The structure of the memorial is simple but the writings on the monument speak vividly of the Gurkha War and how brave Gurkhas are.

This memorial is a pride for Gorkha community and should be visited by every Gurkha while in Dehradun.

Mindrolling Monastery

This city is a much visited hill station both by foreigners and Indians. The town has a number of tourist spots but the Mindrolling Monasteryis a splendid piece of architecture that tourists love to see.

The place is quite close to Delhi and other states like UP and Rajasthan. It is a good respite for the people of the neighboring states during the months of summer. Dehradun is also much visited because it is the gateway for famous Hindu pilgrimages of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. Another famous hill station – Mussoorie is also very close to Dehradun. In fact, tourists who visit Mussoorie also come to see Dehradun and vice versa.

Dehra Doon has a number of famous tourist spots. Sahastradhara, Tapkeshwar temple, White water rafting, Rajaji National Park, are some of the famous tourist spots of Dehradun. One cannot miss the Tibetan Buddhist Monastery Dehradun as it is a beautiful example of Buddhist art and architecture.

Mindrolling Monastery is located in the Clement Town. This is a renowned monastery of the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhists. It’s a very old monastery which was established way back in 1676 by Rigzin Terdak Lingpa. However, the monastery has witnessed a number of natural calamities, and attacks and thus has been deformed several times. The present structure was maintained and developed by Khochhen Rinpoche.

A lot of Buddhists visit the monastery as it is a great center for Buddhist learning and scriptures. Mindrolling Monastery in Dehradun is one of the greatest places of Buddhist worship in India. The head of the monastery is regarded supreme by Buddhist all over the world. The literal meaning of Mindrolling is the “Place of Perfect Emancipation” Not only Buddhists all kinds of visitors travel the monastery as it is a great piece of architectural marvel and a great place to spend some peaceful moments.

The Mindrolling Monastery is a huge white structure 185 feet tall. The white facade of the “stupa” signifies peace. The front is embossed with the painting of the future Buddha. Descending the steps is the miniature of the present Buddha. Inside the “stupa” are preserved ancient Buddhist relics. Mural paintings represent the Buddhist life and culture. The monastery is set amidst lush green lawns spread across 2 acres.

The monastery is a great center for Buddhist education and learning. Academic fields like Tibetan Lunar Calendar, astronomy, Tibetan medicine, calligraphy, and other Tibetan fields are taught in the monastery. The monastery also hosts Ngagyur Nyingma College one of the biggest Buddhist institutions in India. Since 300 years the Midrolling Monastery is producing good Buddhist monks, priests, and yogis.

Mindrolling Monastery is a must see in Dehradun. Whether you are Buddhist or not doesn’t matter because the place has a lot to tell about the greatness and dynamism of Buddhism. It is one of the greatest Buddhist monuments that exist since time immemorial and holds lot of importance for Buddhists.

Jaspal Rana Shooting Range

There are a number of good institutes and all India famous schools and colleges in Dehradun. Jaspal Rana Shooting Range is a respectively new institute which has become very popular among the students of sports.

Dehradun is a perfect place for institute of any kind. The town and its surrounding area has got ample space to set up huge campus and training centers. The hilly surroundings provide a picturesque background to the institutes, schools, and colleges. The peace and tranquil that the town provides is another factor that makes Dehradun congenial for education and research.

Dehradun is a small town that is well connected to all the important cities of India. Delhi the capital of India is just 225 kms away and is easily commutable by road. The Jolly Grant airport ensures the air connectivity of Dehradun. The town is well equipped with good markets, restaurants, banks, offices, and other necessary infrastructure.

Due to all these factors the Government of India prefers Dehradun as a great place for setting up good institutes. Some of the prominent institutes are Forest Research Institute, Institute of Management and Studies, DAV College of Law, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, and so on. Doon School is a very reputed school in Dehradun where the children from many prominent families of India study.