Moving to Dehradun

cadman

I am considering relocating to Dehradun. Can any expats who have lived there give me an impression of what life for an expat is like in this city?

omfug

i will not be moving to dehra dun but visiting in feb. for 1 and 1/2 month ---if you want i will let you know how it is in dehra dun.

beklemmung

I'd be interested in hearing your opinions of the place. I'm thinking of spending some time there this spring/summer.

rajugusain

Dehradun is capital of Uttarakhand state. It is famous for public schools in India. The climate is pleasent: Please visit: dehradun.nic.in
Living is Dehradun is economical, compared to metro cities like Delhi and Mumbai.
Raju Gusain

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beklemmung

Thanks, Raju. How long have you been there, and how would you compare it to other cities you've lived in? I know it's considerably bigger than Haridwar, and especially Rishikesh, but is Dehra Dun also significantly more active than those two? Are meat and alcohol sold in DD?

Also, I have a favor to ask. Can you easily find out whether the NIM in Uttarkashi still has any open slots for either of their basic mountaineering courses this spring (March/April)? I've been trying to answer that question for the past week via email and phone and I'm not meeting with success. I don't want to send the money by post if it's already full.

Thanks in advance

robotvoice

I can tell you that there definitely is alcohol in dehradun because when i was there at the bus stop i saw the drunkest man i have ever seen in india. Nice fellow too, but too drunk to communicate properly.

cadman

Thanks Omfug. Any info would be very helpful. Our visits may overlap as I hope to make short visit in either March or April.




Hi Raju - all the info/pictures from the web seem to be aimed at tourists. They don't give a real impression of the city. I am trying to find out what it would be like for a foreigner to settle there. Any thoughts?

amit14oct

its really nice city to live... and u can find meat and alcohol easly in dehradun..dehradun as a city far far active than rishikesh and haridwar.

Cool_Sparrow

Hi,

I have long been a passive reader of IM though I just joined IM....first, to express my thanks to this wonderful community and inform you all that my family (3 of us) will be relocating to Dehradun in the coming months (before Jan. 2009). I found a job there and wanted to return back (to my homeland as my parents are ageing) after a looong stay in U.S. where....in the process I acquired a few graduate degrees, made some but not a lot of money (no end to this, right?) and got to live in some wonderful towns and cities in U.S. and of course, became a U.S. citizen (with Indian OCI status).

I expect my job to cover our living expenses comfortably so that's not my immediate concern. Our key questions/concerns are:

a) If we choose to retire or take a long break (~1 year) in Dehradun, what would be a reasonable living costs for a family with slighly upper middle class (but not luxurious) lifestyle with one car (no driver) and a 3 bedroom apt./home (say, 1500 sq. ft.) for rent?

b) My wife and I, having spent our childhood in South India (Chennai especially), are a little concerned about establishing roots so far up north, though from what we hear, Dehradun is a nice, cosmopolitan town. Are are there avenues for us "southies" to get a taste of South in Dehradun (without venturing to Delhi every time)? I am talking about tamil classes for our toddler, carnatic classical music concerts or other such activities. We will, of course, fully immerse ourselves with the jewels of North (Hindustani classical, Hindi, Sanskrit, great schools in the region, temperate climate etc.)

c) Any tips and advice from Dehradun IMers or local contacts to help us prepare for this major relocation would be most welcome.

Thanks!

abhiuday467

Ok i will try to answer ur questions it might be possible that few facts may not be exactly correct so forgive me for that!!!

1) Regarding staying i would like to compare Dehradun with Hyderabad.In hyderabad u get a house with a good lifestyle quotient for around Rs25000(3 bhk) the same u can get in dehradun for like Rs15000(3 bhk) plus there are less of flats and more of independent house with garden etc.Basically Dehradun is a city where people generally settle down after retirement and most of them happens to be from armed forces and they tend to live in houses with garden because that's how there lifestlye has been and not flats.So basically what people do is they purchase a piece of land and build house to settle in when they retire.So these type of people usually come there and stay in vacation they get and go back to there places of working.So these type of people welcome tenants who will occupy a part of house but not the whole house.Here they benefit in 2 ways
1.There house is being taken care of.
2.Second they are getting steady bucks from u.
So if these people find that ur a good guy and that u wont trouble them much they will happily take u in. So that way u can get a really good house and good retired respected neighbors who wont trouble u much and i think ur looking for similar thing if im right.

As far as good eating culture is concerned i think Dehradun still lacks in that because i really had tough time in finding one good resturant but i think it will catch up soon on this front .I might be wrong here.U can get more info on this front from a more reliable foodie source.

Regarding education it has one of the most renowned schools of india especially Doon school.I hope u must have heard of it. But as far as getting tamil classes for ur toddlers i think u wont get that in school or even on tution.They can definitely get good english education but not tamil.This can be a big dissapointment for u.

On weather front its a nice city but has lost its charm since it has become state capital.Traffic and pollution has multiplied many times.But i would still say that its a nice city to retire and settle.

I hope that i have helped a little in solving ur anxiety to move back to india.

Cool_Sparrow

Thanks, Abhiuday.

From our post, it looks like a family can live comfortably in Dehradun for under Rs. 40,000 a month (rent included). This is a relief for me as this represents an income level that I can generate without a job. I may semi-retire in the near future and we have plenty of causes we want to support.

The idea of renting independent house with garden at a relatively low cost in dehradun sounds good to us (my wife loves gardening). But we cannot share it with the owner who may want to stay during his vacation (privacy ).

We can deal with the other stuff (and get our tamil fix) by visits to Delhi or South India where our family is based. I would appreciate other thoughts please. Any Dehradun-based IMers in this forum?

AvidTrekker

Why don't you settle in Mussoorie? Its a 45 minute drive up the mountains fronm Dehra Doon. Its around 2500m (8200 feet) altitude. Much cooler climate, and a wee bit of snow on the upper reaches of the Hilltops in winter. Some famous author (Ruskin Bond?) also lives here.

With a car you can commute every day to and from Mussoorie to DDoon.
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Cool_Sparrow

Thanks for all the replies. I would like my daily commute to be within 15-20 min. so would prefer to live in DDun. Can always visit Mussoorie on weekends or holidays. Besides, with my elderly parents staying with me for good part of the year, I would like the slightly warmer climate of DDun compared to higher altitude locations. Also, I am finding nice properties to rent for Rs. 15-20 K/month in DDun online - will know how the ground reality is after I relocate.

Dilliwala

For the number of times I pass thru Dehradun, I shud be able to help, but I can't on the concerned aspects.
I can add though, that there are enough decent eating places in DD now, including S. Indian.