Yes, the name is inspired by Cult of Shaitan!! But then during the past 12 years, Dehradun has earned this cult status in my mind & heart alike!! There is really nothing quite like it. And though my educational & professional stints did keep me away from Darling Doon during the last 8 years or so, the last 4 months have more than made up for it. I will always remember the golden period of Feb-May’11 for the maybe-never-again-possible great time spent with my family & friends: almost all in Doon!

“Home Sweet Home” is not the only reason for my Doon love, though it is indeed one of the most significant ones! Doon scores over Patiala, NCR & Mumbai solely in terms of its soul uplifting weather conditions. Amazingly cool in summers & Heart warming afternoons in winters: surely is a weather to die-for! Of the places I have spent appreciable time with, Chandigarh & Jaipur come the closest to Doon: being City Beautiful & Pink City in the truest literary sense. But then you will never find these heavenly things even their: the trippy ride to Maggi point (all credit to Rachit for making me witness this awesomeness), the unbelievable water falls of Sahastradhara, Lacchi waala, Robber Caves etc., the awe inspiring architecture of IMA and FRI, the utterly delicious burgers & coffee of Buffet, the thupas of KC (again thanks Rachit!), and the godly 25-km bike ride to Mussorie and above!!

Delhi & Mumbai may vouch for the sheer quality of fairer sex present in those geographies, but take my word delhities & mumbaikars, natural beauty is not only present in the curves & valleys of Doon’s hill-tops & mountains, it goes much beyond that till the humanly abode which truly represent the FAIR species in the true literary sense :) Just take a round of Rajpur Road here!

So as I somehow prepare myself to venture yet again for another professional stint, starting with Mumbai times and then further south in all probability, far away from Doon again! Nothing will ever match the sheer aesthetic beauty of doon and the way it always makes me feel: so very special! So much so that nothing, absolutely nothing, has kept me away from Darling Doon for a continuous stretch of more than 3 months all these years of office & college!! How I wish this good luck charm continues :)

Can somebody get me a job in Dehradun: please please please??

P.S. I know I have missed millions of more amazing things about Dehradun. So urge the Cult of Dehradun followers to add them up!!