The book is remembrance to the fading memories of a city and takes its readers on a journey of 'Vale of Doon'. It tries to tell the story of Doon Valley through its narratives and illustrations, which we have often found ourself wondering about when passing by an old deteriorating structure hiding beneath green monsoon moss in a forgotten part of the city, sitting by a canal or an abandoned bridge watching the setting sun through the blue‐tangerine skies or while taking a walk through a forest bathed in wintery sunshine. Doon Valley has been nothing less than a magical land with its inhabitants of kinds who have coexisted since time immemorial, but this coexistence of man and nature is now threatened by insensitive and unscientific development. The book urges its readers to reflect and act in order to protect their valley for future generations and times to come.
The book tries to put together the otherwise ignored fragments of the city heritage that still stand, awaiting to be torn apart by the insensitive developmental activity but hoping to be rescued and bring people closer to the Dehra of old times.
Maulishree Mishra is a practising architect, heritage conservator and researcher. An alumnus of Asia Europe Foundation and NTNU, Norway, she has pursued M. Arch in Conservation from CEPT University, Ahmedabad, and B.Arch from Govt. College of Architecture, Lucknow. Her experience includes working as a heritage professional on The World Heritage Nomination Dossier for Ahmedabad, serving as a conservation architect for the Govt. of Uttarakhand on ADB-assisted projects, and assisting Tibet Heritage Fund in Leh–Ladakh 2014 to present. Being born and brought up in Dehradun, she shares a deep love for the valley. She has contributed as an academician working in the capacity of an assistant professor at the Faculty of Architecture, DIT University, and as a guest faculty at School of Planning, UPES, taking subjects of Urban Design, Urban Renewal and Conservation. She is also a recipient of the INTACH Research Scholarship 2019–2020 for her research on Dehradun.
Siddhartha Mukherjee is an architect, industrial designer and a design educator. He is a licensed architect endorsed by the Council of Architecture and has contributed manifold towards architecture and design practice. He had been formerly associated as an Industrial Designer and Design Manager with Godrej and Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd., Mumbai. The love of the enchanting Himalayas brought him to the city of Dehradun in 2017. Mukherjee is an assistant professor of Design at the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun. A design graduate from Industrial Design Centre, IIT Bombay, he has pursued his Bachelors in Architecture from Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad. He is also an alumnus of the Institute of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, where he gained experience in Strategic Design Initiatives and Disruptive Innovation. Mukherjee is a hiking and bird watching enthusiast and spends hours studying and photographing them.
