Hin: देहरादून deharāḍūn
‘Valley Camp’ [Dehra Doon] -City/Capital/District, Uttarakhand
From Hin: ḍērā, ‘encampment’, ‘temporary settlement’; and dūn(a), ‘valley’
The Doon Valley lies in a valley 4-700m up in the Himalayan foothills. The city itself is surrounded by the Shivalik Hills.
Baba Ram Rai (son of the 7th Sikh Guru, Har Rai) settled here in the 17thC. He had been exiled by the Sikh authorities for mistranslating scripture to avoid causing offence to Emperor Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb was impressed enough to give money and land to help him build a Gurudwara.
For related place names see Indian Place names and Uttarakhand place names.
Dehradun Valley from Landour (Uttarakhand) Paul Hamilton
