Roorkee is a urban town in the district of Haridwar in Uttaranchal. It is located on the National Highway-58 on the banks of the Ganga at a distance of 30km from Haridwar. Roorkee derives its name from Ruri, the wife of tribal chieftain of the Rajputs.
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The development of Roorkee began with the establishment of the Roorkee Engineering College which was originally meant for training classes for the locals in civil engineering works for the Upper Ganga Canal. It was only in 1847 that the college was formally constituted and was renamed 'Thomason College of Civil Engineering' after Sir James Thomason, Lt. Governor of North Western Province (1843-53) who was behind the constitution of the college.
The college was later upgraded to be known as the Unversity of Roorkee and in 2001, it was made one of the IITs, IIT Roorkee. The Dargah of Alauddin Sabir Kaliyari known as Piran Kaliyar Sharif is located in Roorkee. A 15 day long festival is held at the dargah known as Sakar Sabir Pak.
Amusement Park: The Crystal World is an amusement park situated in Roorkee that attracts tourists who can relax and rejuvenate in the artificial pools and lakes. Several water swings and water sports along with rain dance are a treat during the hot summer months.
Pilgrimage: The holy town of Haridwar is situated just 30 kms from Roorkee and tourists visiting Roorkee make sure to take a dip in the holy Ganges at Haridwar. One can visit the temples, shrines and historical architectures constructed in and around the city.
Being a proper city, there are many accommodation facilities in Roorkee where tourists can stay. It is easier to find luxury hotels and resorts with all the facilities as well as find budget guesthouses and lodges in Roorkee.
Being a large and densely populated city, Roorkee does have its fair share of multi-cuisine restaurants as well as local food stalls where one can find delicious north Indian dishes along with scrumptious international cuisines. Several luxurious hotels also have in-house restaurants that serve a variety of cuisines according to the taste and liking of their guests.
In 1868, the municipality of Roorkee was formed after it became home to Bengal Sappers and Miners in 1853. Today, it is home to a large army base and is the headquarters for Bengal Engineering Group and Centre.
Other than the IIT Roorkee, the other important educational institutes are College of Engineering Roorkee (COER), Roorkee Institute of Technology (RIT), Bishambhar Sahai Law Institute, Roorkee College of Pharmacy and Roorkee Institute of Management Sciences (RIMS).
There are various important schools as well like St. Gabriel's Academy, St. Ann's Sr. Sec. School, Army School, Knox Memorial School and St. Joseph School. The presence of world class institutions, attract hundreds of students not only from all over India but all over the world to study in Roorkee.
Check out the Roorkee weather report for December
The minimun and maximum temperature in December in Roorkee is 9°C and 23°C respectively. The weather is generally pleasant and clear in December and you would feel chilling cold throughout the day. Heavy Woolen clothes are recommended for Roorkee in December.
Roorkee is famous among tourist as Educational Institutes, Business Hub, Shopping, City.
Roorkee is popular destination for following activities/ interests - Business Hub, Others.
