The earliest historical traces of the vedic period in Dehradun is carbon dated at a historical period of 300BC. The inscriptions are found at the northern outskirts of modern Dehradun city. They are attributed to have occurred during the reign period of King Asoka.
The vedic period in Dehradun is an integral period of ancient Indian history. The vedic period in Dehradun forms a part of Indian history when the sacred Vedic Sanskrit texts such as the Vedas were written. The composite culture during that era is known as the Vedic Civilization. The economy of the vedic period in Dehradun was agricultural and concentrated in the Indo-Gangetic Plain. The vedic period in Dehradun played a major role in the evolution of Hindu religion.
The historical evidence of the vedic period in Dehradun are found in the 14 edicts carved on a rock in modern day location of Kalsi in Dehradun. These edicts are adjacent to another historical site whose time line is close to the edicts in question. This is the site of the three horse sacrifices made by Raja Shilvarma during his rule during 3rd century BC. Raja Shilvarma belonged to the Vrisheri dynasty. The site bore typical historical traces of the period. Large inscribed bricks are arranged to form a shape of a bird with a fire altar in the middle of the remains.
The name 'Dehradun' is derived from 'Dron Ashram'. According to legend, Guru Dronacharya, a Brahmin teacher of the Kauravas and Pandavas in the Indian epic Mahabharata set up his ashram or 'Dera' in Dehradun. The word Dehradun is a decayed form of the word 'Dera'.
Last Updated on 15 April 2011
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