By Manjot Kaur · 16 October 2026
Most riders leaving Chandigarh for the hills have Kasauli or Shimla in mind. About 60 km up the Shimla highway, though, there is a smaller turn that many people miss. At Kumarhatti a narrow road climbs to Dagshai, one of the oldest cantonments in Himachal Pradesh. Its stone jail, built in 1849, is now a museum. One of its cells has a fireplace, a photograph and a spinning wheel, because Mahatma Gandhi asked to stay in it. A few kilometres away, a blue stone portal at Barog marks the longest tunnel on the Kalka–Shimla toy train line.
Together they make a full, unhurried day on two wheels, and they fit well into the coming long weekend. With a bike rental in Chandigarh, you can leave at first light, beat the Parwanoo traffic, and be back in the city before dark. Book a bike in Chandigarh for your date, then use the plan below.
Key Takeaways
- Distance: Dagshai is about 60 km from central Chandigarh via Pinjore, Kalka, Parwanoo and Dharampur on the Kalka–Shimla highway (NH5). Barog is a few kilometres further. A round trip with both stops comes to roughly 125 to 135 km.
- Museum hours: the Dagshai jail museum is commonly listed as open 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and 3 pm to 5 pm. Some visitors report a 10 am start, and it is closed on Mondays. Entry has been free, according to recent visitor reports.
- Long weekend tip: over Dussehra (17 to 20 October 2026), go on Saturday, Sunday or Tuesday, not Monday 19 October.
- Barog: Tunnel 33 is 1,143.61 m long, the longest of the 103 tunnels on the Kalka–Shimla Railway, which UNESCO added to its World Heritage list in 2008.
- Bike: on 16 October 2026 the lowest bike rate on the Hire N Ride Chandigarh page was ₹1,399 per day for a 2025 Royal Enfield Classic 350, with 150 km a day included and a deposit from ₹1,500.
Why Dagshai deserves a day of its own
Dagshai sits on a hilltop at roughly 1,700 m, about 11 km from Solan. The East India Company founded the cantonment in 1847 after the Maharaja of Patiala gave it five villages free of cost: Dabbi, Badhtiala, Chunawad, Jawag and Dagshai. The cantonment took its name from the last of these. There is no firm record of where that name comes from. A popular local story links it to Daag-e-Shahi, the royal brand that was said to be stamped on prisoners in Mughal times. The Solan district administration describes this as only a legend on its places of interest page.
The jail followed in 1849. According to The Tribune's report on the jail museum, it cost ₹72,873 to build. It is a T-shaped building of local stone with 54 maximum-security cells, each about 8 by 12 feet with a 20-foot ceiling. Sixteen of these cells were used for the harshest punishments, with almost no ventilation or natural light. The wooden floors are worth noticing. Footsteps carried through them, so guards could hear prisoners move. Apart from the Cellular Jail in the Andaman Islands, it is often described as the only other museum in India that was once a jail.
The stories inside the cells
In 1920, Irish soldiers of the Connaught Rangers mutinied in protest against British actions in Ireland. The alleged ringleaders were held at Dagshai. Gandhi came to the jail to show solidarity and spent two days there by choice, not as a prisoner, in a larger cell with two rooms, a fireplace and a door opening outside. That cell now shows his photograph and a charkha. Private James Daly, the young soldier who led the Solan detachment, was executed by firing squad on 2 November 1920. Years later, in 1948, Nathuram Godse spent a night in cell number six, next to the entrance, while being taken to Shimla for his trial. He is believed to have been the jail's last prisoner.
The jail lay neglected for decades before it opened as a museum in 2011. A local resident, Anand Sethi, gathered photographs and records from India, Britain and Ireland, with support from the army brigade based at Kasauli. Allow about an hour inside. Read the notes outside each cell, step into one of the dark punishment cells for a moment, and give yourself time to take in the place.
The ride up: Chandigarh to Kumarhatti
The route is simple. Leave the city through Panchkula towards Pinjore, continue to Kalka, and join the Kalka–Shimla highway at Parwanoo, where you cross from Haryana into Himachal Pradesh. From there the road climbs steadily through Jabli and Dharampur to Kumarhatti. Turn off at Kumarhatti for the short, steep climb to Dagshai. The ride takes about an hour and a half to two hours with a breakfast stop. It can take longer on a holiday morning, when traffic queues build at Parwanoo.
A few practical points for the climb:
- Start early. Long weekends send a lot of Shimla-bound cars up this road. If you are past Parwanoo by about 8 am, the climb is far calmer.
- Fuel in the plains. Fill the tank in Panchkula or Kalka so you are not looking for a pump on the hill.
- Watch the cut slopes. Long stretches of the highway run below hillsides cut back for road widening. Loose stones and gravel can lie on bends, especially after rain.
- Give trucks space. Do not overtake on blind curves. Slow vehicles usually pull over where the road widens.
- Entry barrier: Himachal collects an entry tax from many vehicles registered outside the state. Two-wheelers were not among the classes listed in the 2026–27 schedule, but rules can change, so keep UPI or a little cash ready at Parwanoo.
Inside the cantonment: ride slowly, follow the signs
Dagshai is still a working army cantonment, and the museum is maintained by the army. Keep your speed low on the cantonment roads, park where you are directed, and respect any signs that limit photography or entry. Do not fly drones. Beyond the jail, two other places are worth a short walk. One is St Patrick's Church, which was built with contributions from soldiers of the Connaught Rangers and has since been restored. The other is the old Roman Catholic and European cemetery, whose gate dates it to 1845. Both are quiet places, so keep your voice low.
Barog and Tunnel 33
From Kumarhatti, a short side road climbs to Barog. Until 2003 the main highway ran through Barog. A new section then linked Kumarhatti directly to Solan, avoiding the steep incline. That is good news for riders, because Barog is now a quiet detour of pine trees and old railway buildings. The climb is short but steep, so use a low gear.
The station sits right at the mouth of Tunnel 33, which is 1,143.61 m long and the longest of the 103 tunnels on the Kalka–Shimla Railway. A train moving at about 25 km/h takes around two and a half minutes to pass through it. The line opened in 1903 and became part of the Mountain Railways of India World Heritage Site in 2008.
Barog also has its legend. The story says a British engineer, Colonel Barog, dug the tunnel from both ends, but the two sections failed to meet. He was fined one rupee, took his own life near the abandoned bore, and the station was named after him. The tunnel was later finished under chief engineer H. S. Harington, reportedly with help from a local man known as Baba Bhalku. It is a good story, but some historians doubt it, because newspaper records suggest the name Barog was in use before the tunnel work began. Enjoy the tale, then sit on the platform. If you check train times in advance, you can watch a toy train come out of the blue stone portal.
A sample day plan
- 6:30 to 7 am: pick up your bike in Chandigarh. Check the tyres, brakes and lights, and make sure the fuel level is noted.
- 7:45 am: pass Parwanoo before the holiday traffic builds.
- 8:30 am: breakfast at a dhaba around Dharampur.
- 9:30 to 11 am: Dagshai jail museum, in the first session of the day.
- 11 am to 12 noon: walk to St Patrick's Church and the old cemetery.
- 12:30 pm: ride to Barog for lunch and spend some time on the station platform.
- 2:30 to 3 pm: start back down the highway.
- By 5 pm: return to Chandigarh. Sunset at Dagshai on 17 October is around 5:50 pm, and earlier behind the hills, so finish the descent in daylight.
If you prefer the afternoon session at the museum (3 to 5 pm), switch the order. See Barog first, have lunch, then visit Dagshai. You will descend close to dusk, though, which is harder work after a long day, so the morning order is the better choice.
The long weekend calendar, and why Monday matters
Dussehra falls on Tuesday 20 October 2026. Many people will take Monday 19 October off to make a four-day break from Saturday 17 October, but that Monday is the one day the jail museum is shut. Ride on Saturday or Sunday if you can. Weekend mornings are busy, but the museum is open. Tuesday 20 October is a gazetted holiday, so check opening hours locally before you go. The following week, Monday 26 October is Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti, a holiday in some northern states. The same Monday closure applies then too.
Choosing your bike for this ride
This is a hill ride on a good highway, not an off-road trip, so any well-kept 350 cc motorcycle will handle it. On 16 October 2026 the Chandigarh listings on Hire N Ride included:
- Royal Enfield Classic 350 (2025): ₹1,399 per day, the lowest rate listed. Its upright, relaxed position suits a steady climb.
- Royal Enfield Hunter 350 (2025): ₹1,499 per day. It is shorter and more nimble, which helps in town traffic and on tight bends.
- Royal Enfield Meteor 350 (2025): ₹1,599 per day. It is a comfortable cruiser for riders who prefer a laid-back seat.
Each listing showed 150 km a day included, which covers the Dagshai and Barog round trip. The page also showed a deposit from ₹1,500 and doorstep delivery. Rates and availability change, so confirm on the live page before you book.
Documents and gear
- A valid driving licence that covers motorcycles, plus a government photo ID. Carry the originals.
- Helmets for both rider and pillion. Check what comes with the listing and bring your own if you prefer.
- A warm layer and gloves. Mid-October mornings on the hill feel much cooler than Chandigarh.
- A rain shell, a phone mount, a power bank and water.
More rides and drives from Chandigarh
If you want a shorter outing, our Pinjore Gardens bike half-day uses the first stretch of this same road. If you are travelling as a family, or the weather looks uncertain, a self-drive car rental in Chandigarh works too. Our guide to a Kasauli day by car covers a neighbouring hill town.
Conclusion: history, a short ride from Chandigarh
Few rides from Chandigarh pack in this much history in so few kilometres. In one morning you can climb out of the plains, walk the wooden floor of an 1849 jail, stand in the cell Gandhi chose, and then watch a heritage train come out of a hillside at Barog. Skip Monday, leave early, and plan to be off the hill before the light fades. A bike rental in Chandigarh takes care of the rest.
Ready for the Dagshai climb? Book a bike in Chandigarh, check today's rates and deposit, and pick a day the museum is open.
About the author: Manjot Kaur writes ride and road-trip guides for Hire N Ride. She focuses on heritage routes in Punjab and the lower Himalaya, and on the practical details that make a rental ride go smoothly, such as opening days, daylight and fuel stops.
