Plant Trees to Beautify Earth
Dagshai Jail and Heritage Museum – Second Popular after Andaman Islands Cellular Jail
Dagshai Jail and Heritage Museum Timings: 9:00 – 6:00 (Monday closed)
– Dagshai jail is the second most popular jail after the Andaman Islands cellular jail.
– Dagshai jail is a unique T-shaped jail with a high ceiling and teak wood flooring.
– Constructed in the year 1849 at a cost of Rs. 72,873 having 54 cells measuring 8 x 12 feet and a height of 20 feet. The ventilation is 1×2 feet. The iron gates of cells are specially casted iron alloy impossible for any prisoner to cut these gates.
– 27 cells are known as common cells and 16 as solitary confinement cells. 11 are for jail staff.
– 16 solitary confinement cells for severe indiscipline cases. These cells have no ventilation and no access to natural light.
– Few cells are for inhuman punishments. A prisoner was made to stand between two doors of a cell. Both the doors were locked, thus prisoner was kept standing for hours depriving him of any rest.
– Dagshai jail was even used to lodge German and Italian prisoners of war in 1944.
– Mahatma Gandhi visits Dagshai jail to meet imprisoned great Irish Leader – Eamon De Valera.
– Unconfirmed reports that Nathuram Godse too spent some time in Dagshai jail.
– It is believed, four Indian revolutionaries were executed in Dagshai who were on board the S.S. Komagatamaru – a Japanese Ship chartered in May 1914 by Baba Gurdit Singh a wealthy Sikh from Singapore to take 350 Indian Sikhs to Canada.
– There is an antique Scottish water pump inside the jail premises.
(Source: Display Board)
A Day Tour to Dagshai from Chandigarh
I started the Royal Enfield Thunderbird Twinspark motorbike from ISBT 43, Chandigarh at 7:00 am We had planned to tour the Heritage Museum of Dagshai famously known as Dagshai Jail.
After 25 km of driving, we pass nearby HMT, Pinjore (left side). Further 13 km drive, 8:15 am thought of breakfast at Nikki Rasoi (right side) but we skipped stopping at Punjabi Dhaba (left side).
Total I have driven by now – 44 km
It’s 8:30 am – The time.
We requested Pyaaz Paratha (Rs. 25), Aaloo Paratha (Rs. 25), and Dahi (curd Rs. 30). In Total we paid Rs. 160/- for two of us – The tourists.
After having a good nashta (breakfast) the journey continues…
After another 11 km drive, we reached Dharampur. Further 2 km drive, the right side is the way towards our destination – Dagshai. The road we left goes to Shimla.
3 km further uphill drive, we reached Dagshai. 9:15 am the time.
The distance between Chandigarh and Dagshai is approx. 61 kms.
The total journey hours from Chandigarh to Dagshai is 2 hours 15 minutes including time for breakfast.
Yes, I drive slowly.
Road condition is fantastic. Enjoyed driving especially after Pinjore between the hills.
At Dagshai we visited Dagshai Jail and Heritage Museum and spent a good amount of time there. A coffee shop is nearby. A cup of coffee and time to rest under a shed listening to birds chirping sound and then a few meters drive is St. Patrick’s R.C. Church (left side). The further drive we reached Mary Rebecca Weston Grave. We are inside a graveyard. Nobody was there. We spent about half an hour there sitting quietly in silence. Immense peace within. Dagshai is also a silent quiet location. Only 10-15 tourists I saw. I like the place very much. No horn honking, not too much of tourists, only one or two vehicles, and above all clean, green, and on top of a mountain. Not many shops either. One of my favorites for sure from now onwards.
After Dagshai as we were having ample time, we decided to visit Kasauli.
Kasauli is approx. 16 km from Dagshai.
Before Kasauli at Sanawar on the left-hand side, we saw The Lawrence School where Sanjay Dutt (Bollywood superstar) did his schooling. And then little one km further we visited Baba Balak Nath temple (right side) at Gadkhal situated on top of Granar mountain. One guruji is there whom one can meet for guidance but only on Sunday. One has to take a token one day before i.e., Saturday late morning hours. Dharamshala is there to stay, and food arrangements are also there.
Finally, we reached Kasauli to visit Manki point situated on top of a mountain that is more than 6,000 feet. One has to reach via well-made stairs. Approx. 15-30 minutes of climbing depending on your fitness level. This is the location where Lord Hanuman left feet touched the mountain while returning with Sanjeevani booty (to cure Lord Laxman) from Dronagiri Hill.
Manki Point Timings: 9:00 am – 4:15 pm (1:00 pm – 1:45 pm lunchtime)
Passes are issued to visit Manki Point. No camera, mobile phones, binoculars, radio, Walkman, pen drive, calculator, remote sensor key, eatables, lighter, matchbox, polythene bag, carry bag, iPod, mp3 player, or digital diary is allowed.
4:40 pm we started our return journey to Chandigarh. After 24 km of driving from Kasauli, we stop at Ishar Sweets (left side) to have something for the hungry stomach. We had Rabri Kulfi (Rs. 40) which was one of the best kulfi I had till-date. And then I had Rasmalai (Rs. 50) which was ok ok.
Altogether a day tour to Dagshai and Kasauli was fruitful. Thoroughly enjoyed motorbike driving and especially the visit to Heritage Museum. Here I also would like to mention I saw more than 20 Harley-Davidson bikers. I guess they must be on a long drive. Good to watch.
I suggest if you are visiting Shimla or Kasauli or nearby tourist places try to visit Dagshai Heritage Museum. An experience for sure.