Very few people know that Dehradun competed with New Delhi in being named the new capital of India in the 1920s or that mountaineer and author of “Seven Years in Tibet” Heinrich Harrer, was incarcerated as a prisoner in Clement Town.
These and other interesting yet lesser known aspects of Dehradun’s history are presented in a book titled “Been There, Doon ThatIJ” featuring 10 walks to explore the heritage of Doon valley. The book authored by anthropologist and heritage activist, lokesh Ohri has been published by the Department of Youth Affairs, Government of Uttarakhand.
According to Ohri, across the world, cities are trying to revive interest in their heritage sites and interpreting it for residents and visitors alike. This book, prepared after years of research, seeks to make the people of Doon more aware about the heritage that surrounds them in an interesting format. It emphasises the pleasures of walking the streets and the nature trails that the Doon valley offers in abundance. While also giving a reading list to avid Doon watchers, it makes anecdotal references to historical facts.
The interesting and lesser known facts about Dehradun revealed in the book include that legendary singer Cliff Richards spent his childhood here and was baptized in the Doon’s St Thomas Church; the Beatles visited Doon in 1968 and composed a song on the valley; the area around Astley Hall was so green and beautiful that the Viceroy stayed the entire summer with his family here and that Hathibarkala is so called because it had banyan trees with prop roots so huge, elephants could easily pass through them.
Sarojini Naidu, the then Governor of Uttar Pradesh, laid the foundation stone for the Clock Tower and Prime Minister lal Bahadur Shastri later inaugurated it in 1953. One of the oldest temples in the region, the Jangam Shivalaya houses a rare idol of lord Vishwanath in black stone along with a cowshed and a ritual yajna site inside. It is believed that Aurangzeb constructed the Jama Masjid in Dehradun. It was initially set-up as a makeshift place of worship for the artisans sent by the Mughal king to build the Guru Ram Rai Durbar.
