Dehradun Airport and art as a reflection of the spirit of its time

A rangoli to mark the 75th anniversary of Indian Independence. All photos: Rashmee Roshan Lall

In the Doon Valley, in the foothills of the Himalayas, sits Dehradun, which would be pretty much like any medium-size north Indian city were it not for its location.

The weather — milder than the baking heat of the plains below — has meant Dehradun was always the focus of elite schools and academies, not least the Indian Military Academy, Forest Research Institute, the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing and Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, as well as Doon School, one of the Indian equivalents of Harrow, Welham Boys School and Welham Girls School. The city is also the official base of the Surveyor-General of India. The city has always had strategic importance, which means it boasts a prominent Indian Air Force and Army presence.