According to the combined survey based on health, infrastructure, economy, education, and crime, conducted by Dainik Jagran and KPMG, Dehradun is one of India's safest cities.

For its strategic value, in addition to the location of its principal service academy, the Indian Armed Forces maintain a considerable presence in Dehradun, at the Garhi Cantonment and Naval Station.

[19] It is well connected and in proximity to Himalayan tourist destinations such as Shimla, Mussoorie, Dhanaulti, Chakrata, New Tehri, Uttarkashi, Harsil, Chopta-Tungnath, Auli, and summer and winter hiking destinations like the Valley of Flowers at Dodital, Dayara Bugyal, Kedarkantha, Har Ki Dun and Hemkunt Sahib for camping and Himalayan panoramic views.

Aurangzeb objected to a verse in the Sikh scripture (Asa ki Var) that stated, "the clay from a Musalman(Muslim)'s grave is kneaded into potter's lump", considering it an insult to Islam.

Baba Ram Rai explained that the text was miscopied and modified it, substituting "Musalman" with "Beiman" (faithless, evil) which Aurangzeb approved.

According to Hindu mythology, in ancient India during the Mahabharata epic era, Dronacharya, the great teacher of Kauravas and Pandavas, lived here, hence the name of "Dronanagari" (lit.

Also, known as 'Dronanagari' on the name of Dronacharya, legendary Royal guru to the Kauravas and Pandavas in the epic Mahabharata, is believed to have been born and resided in Dehradun.

Dehradun was invaded by Mahmud of Ghazni during his campaigns into India followed by Timur in 1368, Rohilla chief Najib ad-Dawlah in 1757 and Ghulam Qadir in 1785.

[32] Another leader from the independence movement, Rash Behari Bose, who was one of the key organisers of the Ghadar conspiracy and, later, the Indian National Army was based in Dehradun in his early days before he was forced to move to Japan in 1915 to continue the freedom struggle.

[33][34] According to Dehradun historian and heritage activist Lokesh Ohri, "Dost Mohammad Khan was fond of pulao and missed it during his exile.

They were built by these Afghan rulers in exile in India in the early part of the 20th Century and are palaces are a miniature replica of the palatial structures owned by the kings in Afghanistan.

Doon-based heritage enthusiast Ghanshyam told the Times of India, "The police station at Karanpur used to be the royal guard room of Yakoob way back in 1879.

The Doon valley contains the settlements including Raiwala, Rishikesh, Doiwala, Harrawala, Dehradun, Herbertpur, Vikasnagar, Sahaspur, Selaqui, Subhash Nagar and Clement Town.

This district is divided into two major parts: the main city Dehradun surrounded by Shivalik and the Jaunsar-Bawar, which is in the foothills of Himalayas.

[45] Environmental groups have campaigned for the revival of the network, citing its benefit for the city's ecology, aesthetics, microclimate and built environment.

But in the Doon, the heat is in rare cases, intense and summer temperatures can reach up to 40 °C (104 °F) for a few days and hot winds (called Loo) blows over North India.

The DM is assisted by a chief development officer; five additional district magistrates for finance/revenue, city, rural administration, land acquisition and civil supply.

[67] The corporation has the following departments: public works, property tax, health, street lights, project implementation unit, Information Technology and sanitation.

The sewage[84] of Dehradun is operated and maintained by Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan (UJS) but is also selectively under the aegis of the Smart City project funded by the central government.

[87] A decentralised pilot project was started in Nathuwala ward with the help of local residents and an NGO called Feedback Foundation and has since been declared a zero waste zone.

State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, or BSNL, as well as private enterprises, among them Vodafone, Bharti Airtel, Reliance, Idea Cellular, and Tata Teleservices are the leading telephone and cell phone service providers in the city.

In spite of having special status under the National Health Mission, the city is facing a healthcare crisis due to the shortage of medical manpower in the state and financial constraints.

Hospitals and medical centres in the Dehradun are plagued by non-functioning equipment in the operating theatre and the insufficient number of labour rooms.

Dehradun houses organisations like the Latika Roy Foundation[103] for people with disabilities to access education, employment, and full inclusion in the community.

[104] Notable scholars who were born, worked or studied in Dehradun include former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, scientists Manju Bansal and Chandramukhi Basu, writer William McKay Aitken, poet Kanwal Ziai, German-British botanist Dietrich Brandis, footballer Anirudh Thapa, and DICCI member Rajesh Saraiya.

[citation needed] Dehradun has been home to artists and writers including Stephen Alter, Nayantara Sahgal, Allan Sealy, Ruskin Bond and also to country singer Bobby Cash.

It was called "The Gray City" in the initial days because ex-Army officers and VIPs considered this place ideal for residence after retirement.

The aim of the institution is to accomplish the needs of the Indo-Gangetic plains of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh, as well as the Uttarakhand Himalayas.

A mix of Hindi, English, and other regional channels are accessible via cable subscription, direct-broadcast satellite service or Internet-based television.

[151] [citation needed] Modern buildings have gradually supplanted older architectural styles including those related to the British colonial rule of India.