Introduction

The bazaar of today’s Dagshai’s has quite a forlorn look. Barred and closed shops, and abandoned houses give it the touches of a little ghost town; it is one of the few places in the country where even the post office has closed down. For all that, it also speaks of a prosperity that once was. Higher up the hill, Dagshai does not seem all that lost. The small but significant presence of the army, an army school and another school further up have taken care of that. Along the little road that climbs up to Dagshai from the direction of Dharampur (and Kasauli) there is a fair bit of an old world look and the views of the valleys are quite delightful. The road goes under pine and elm trees and then turns off from the little tea shops at the incongruously named, Charing Cross, to rejoin the National Highway at Kumarhatti.

At a height of some 6,000 feet above sea level, Dagshai was a barren hill, in sight of Kasauli that in 1847, was transferred by the Maharaja of Patiala to the British for the purposes of creating a military station or cantonment. This had five small villages named Dabbi, Bughtiala, Dagshai, Chunawag and Jawug and the place began to be called ‘Dagshai’ after one of the villages. It was believed that the name came as the result of the original village being where prisoners were branded with hot irons and thus’ Dagh i Shahi’, or the ‘mark of the ruler’.

Under British rule, Dagshai grew to hold a substantial army presence and a large prison. It also played the role of a guard parked in Shimla’s periphery. The Roman Catholic Church was built soon after Dagshai became a cantonment while a school house served as the Protestant Church. The church still stands; the old cemetery where several British soldiers are interred is also there. There is also a strange local belief attached to one of the graves; childless women in the area believe that they will conceive if they eat a bit of the tombstone! The end result, not unexpectedly, is that this has been chipped away over the years.

Special Attributes

Small and charming settlement

Nuisance

The site is very peaceful and free of irritants.

Dressing restrictions

Comfortable

Connectivity

Taxis and buses

Enjoyed by

Nature and history buffs and general interest

Exposure

Yes. Especially in summer.

Avoidable Season

Open through the year

Facilities

Limited

Things Not Allowed

No such restriction.

Tip

Try and walk a little in the area. The views from the top of the cemetery of the valley below are worth checking out.

Type of site

Small town