For centuries, ghost stories, myths, and legends have filled our imaginations with eerie tales. Every country, every region, seems to have its share of haunted places, unexplained events, and the supernatural. But what truly makes a town haunted? What turns history into a ghost story?
One such mysterious place is Dagshai, a small town nestled in the hills of Himachal Pradesh. Located just 11 km from Solan, Dagshai’s eerie reputation has intrigued locals and visitors alike for decades.
Dagshai’s haunted reputation stems from its dark past. Once a place where criminals were sent for punishment by Mughal rulers, the town’s name derives from the term “Daag-e-Shahi,” meaning “a royal stain.” Over time, the British turned this area into a cantonment town, further solidifying its place in history.
The British built several structures here, including army buildings, schools, and the infamous Dagshai cemetery. It’s in this cemetery where one of the town’s most famous ghost stories originated.
The legend of Mary Weston is perhaps the most famous ghost story associated with Dagshai, a quiet army cantonment town in Himachal Pradesh. Mary was the wife of Major George Weston, a British doctor stationed in Dagshai during the colonial era. After years of struggling to conceive, the couple was finally blessed with a pregnancy, thanks to an amulet gifted to them by a wandering saint. However, tragedy struck when Mary died eight months into her pregnancy in 1909.
Devastated by the loss of his wife and unborn child, Major Weston constructed a beautiful marble grave for Mary. The marble was imported all the way from England, a gesture of his deep love and grief. Over time, however, the grave became the center of a peculiar local myth.
Rumors began circulating that Mary’s grave had the power to grant boons, particularly to women seeking male children. According to this myth, pregnant women believed that if they took a small piece of marble from Mary’s grave, they would be blessed with a baby boy. Desperate to avoid giving birth to girls, many women visited the cemetery and chipped away at the marble. As a result, the grave’s structure, once a beautiful tribute, was damaged by these superstitious visitors.
Over the years, locals and visitors have reported sightings of Mary’s ghost wandering around the cemetery. Some believe her spirit roams the area to protect her grave from further harm, as if defending it from the ignorant hands that once sought to exploit it.
The haunted stories of Dagshai aren’t confined to the cemetery. Many visitors have also reported paranormal activity at the Dagshai Central Jail, which was built in 1849 and is now a museum. The jail has a dark history of torture and death, leading many to believe it’s one of the most haunted places in India.
Visitors have claimed to feel eerie presences and hear strange sounds, leaving many to wonder if the spirits of those who suffered here still linger in the prison walls.
Despite its spooky tales, Dagshai is a place of natural beauty. Built by the British as a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients, the town offers stunning views, particularly from the British-era graveyard that overlooks a picturesque valley. From certain spots in Dagshai, you can even see the lights of Panchkula and Chandigarh twinkling in the distance.
Though it lacks hotels, Dagshai is a popular spot for picnics, offering grand views of Timber Trail Heights, Timber Trail Resorts in Parwanoo, and nearby towns like Solan and Kumar Hatti. The town itself is mostly made up of army buildings and two schools, Army Public School Dagshai and Dagshai Public School.
Dagshai is conveniently located near the Chandigarh-Shimla highway, about 65 km from Chandigarh. However, the roads leading up to the town are steep, and during snowy weather, snow chains are essential for driving.
The closest railway station is Kumar Hatti, just 1.5 km from Dagshai, on the Kalka-Shimla line. The town is also close to other tourist destinations, such as Solan, which is about 11 km away, and Barog. Despite its proximity to these popular spots, Dagshai remains a quieter, lesser-known location, adding to its mysterious charm.
