Roorkee is a small town in the foothills of Himalayas lying at an elevation of 274 m. It is located in district Haridwar, 30 km from the town of Haridwar and 175 from the National capital Delhi. It is situated on National Highway 58 (New Delhi – Badrinath), National Highway 73 (Roorkee - Panchkula) and on Amritsar-Howrah railway route. Roorkee lies between River Ganges and River Yamuna on the banks of upper Ganga Canal.
Roorkee had been home to the Bengal Sappers & Miners and two artilleries since 1853. The municipality of Roorkee was created in 1868. In present the Roorkee Cantonment has a large army base and the Bengal Engineering Group and Center are still here.
Roorkee is famous for the Ganges Canal, brainchild of Sir Proby Thomas Cautley. The Canal flows on a bridge crossing Solani, a seasonal river. It was built in 1854 by British and augmented recently. Roorkee is the place where the first locomotive engine – Mary Lind- moved on rails in India in 1846. The engine was especially shipped from England long and moved in Roorkee long before the first train ran between Mumbai and Thane.
Roorkee has established itself as an Education & Research Center. It is host to many prominent organizations and institutions. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee has produced the finest engineers who have contributed immensely in the national development. There are also many research institutes in Roorkee including Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Irrigation Research Institute (IRI), and National Institute of Hydrology (NIH) etc. With the advent of new industrial policies in the state of Uttarakhand there has been a rise in the industrial sector in Roorkee.
Roorkee is also famous for the shrine of a 13th Century Sufi Saint Alauddin Sabir Kaliyari. The dargah is also known as Sarkar Sabir Pak located in Piran Kaliyar village. An annual 15 day spiritual fair (Urs) is held.
How to Reach
By Air: Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun is the nearest airport to Roorkee located 71 km from town. Taxis are easily available from the Airport for Roorkee. Jolly Grant airport is well connected to Delhi and rest of the country through daily flights.
By Railways: Roorkee has an excellent connectivity with the rest of the country through railways. Trains to Roorkee run on regular basis. Some of the major trains between Roorkee and Delhi are given below:
By Road: Roorkee is well connected with motor able roads. Luxury and Normal buses to Roorkee are available from ISBT Kashmiri Gate. Buses and Taxis are easily available from major destinations in Uttarakhand state. As Roorkee is connected to NH58 and NH73 pass through the heart of the town, Roorkee is easily accessible through cars, taxis and bus coaches.
Highlights
Industries in Roorkee: Industrial area in Roorkee is a part of SIDCUL. The major Industrial estates in Roorkee are: Dev Bhoomi Industrial Estate, Raipur Co-operative Industrial Area, Lakeshri Industrial Area, AIS Industrial Estate, K.I.E Infrastructures & Projects Pvt Ltd., Gold Plus Integrated Industrial Estate, Salempur Rajputtan Industrial Estate, Jai Prakash Associates Ltd. With the advent of SIDCUL, change in government policies, Roorkee-Haridwar has emerged as the new industrial hub of Uttarakhand.
Shopping in Roorkee: Roorkee is famous for its drawing and survey cottage industry. There are many stores, Export houses, showrooms etc in the town related to it. The main areas for shopping are Civil Lines, Main Bazaar, and Sapper Market. There are shopping complexes like Vishal Mega Mart, Tyagi Market, Shiv Complex etc. also.
IIT Roorkee: IIT Roorkee is famous as the oldest technical institute of Asia and was constituted in 1847. It was established with the sole purpose of training for the construction of the Ganga Canal. Today hundreds of students get education here and get prepared for global challenges. IIT Roorkee ranks among the best technological institutions in the world. Its alumni have contributed to all sectors of development. IIT Roorkee has 18 academic departments covering engineering, applied sciences, humanities & social sciences, and management programs, 1 academic center, 4 supporting service centers and a large number of research centers.
Solani Aqueduct: Made on a seasonal river, Solani, Solani Aqueduct is one of the best creations of engineering in Uttarakhand. It was made in 1846 by the British. India's first aqueduct was constructed as a part of the Upper Ganges Canal project, which itself was India's first irrigation work in North India started by the Biritish. The head works of the canal system are located in Haridwar. The Aqueduct is half-kilometer long and raises the canal 25m above the original river.
Crystal World: Roorkee seems to be a serious town with all the institutes and engineering sites. So, if you want to have some fun head towards Crystal World. It is the largest amusement park located near Roorkee. There are many fun rides and water sports at Crystal World which are immensely popular among children and grown-ups alike.
Piran Kaliyar Sharif: Also referred as “Sabir Pak” Piran Kaliyar Sharif is the shrine of Hazrat Alauddin Sabir Kaliyari a respected Sufi saint of 13th century. The Mazaar is honored and revered by the followers of every religion and is famous for healing the devotees by mystical powers. Sabir Pak is an excellent example of unity and solidarity of all faiths.
Roorkee Cantonment: Roorkee cantonment is the oldest cantonments in India. It was established in 1853 and the headquarters of Bengal Engineer Group (Bengal Sappers) were made here in the same year. Two artillery units were also placed here. Today, the cantonment has a large army base and the Bengal Engineer Group has its headquarters here still.
