Barog
Encyclopedia
Barog is a small village in Solan district
in the India
n state
of Himachal Pradesh
.
. It is named after Barog, an engineer involved in building the railway track in 1903.
Barog, the engineer, was responsible for designing a tunnel near the railway station. He commenced digging the tunnel from both sides of the mountain, which is quite common as it speeds up construction. However, he made mistakes in his calculation and while constructing the tunnel, it was found that the two ends of the tunnel did not meet. Barog was fined an amount of 1 Rupee
by the British
government. Unable to withstand the humiliation, Barog committed suicide
. He was buried near the incomplete tunnel. The area came to be known as Barog after him.
Soon another tunnel was built by H.S. Harrington, Chief Engineer in Railways at that time.
This tunnel is the longest of the 103 operational tunnels on the route of the Shimla-Kalka Railway, which is 1143.61m long. Barog station is immediately after the tunnel. Barog tunnel is the straightest tunnel in the World.
Trains take about 2.5 minutes to cross this tunnel, running at 25 kilometres per hour.
. Shimla
, the capital city of Himachal Pradesh is another 65 km from Barog.
Till 2003, National Highway 22 connecting Chandigarh with Shimla passed through Barog. On 6 December 2003, the new section of the highway was inaugurated that would connect the village of Kumarhatti directly to Solan, thus bypassing Barog. This was done to avoid the steep incline to Barog from Kumarhatti.
Barog is located at a height of 1560 metres above the mean sea level
. Due to its height, temperatures here range between 23 to 10 °C during summers and between 15 to 5 °C during winters. The summers last from April to July. Winters set in during December and typically last up to February.
Barog also serves as a fitness camp for the Indian National Hockey and other athletic teams.
Solan district
Solan district is one of the twelve districts of Himachal Pradesh state in northern India. Solan town is the administrative headquarters of the district...
in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
.
History
Barog was settled in the early 20th century during the building of the narrow gauge Kalka-Shimla RailwayKalka-Shimla Railway
The Kalka–Shimla Railway is a narrow gauge railway in North-West India travelling along a mostly mountainous route from Kalka to Shimla. It is known for breathtaking views of the hills and surrounding villages.- History :...
. It is named after Barog, an engineer involved in building the railway track in 1903.
Barog, the engineer, was responsible for designing a tunnel near the railway station. He commenced digging the tunnel from both sides of the mountain, which is quite common as it speeds up construction. However, he made mistakes in his calculation and while constructing the tunnel, it was found that the two ends of the tunnel did not meet. Barog was fined an amount of 1 Rupee
Rupee
The rupee is the common name for the monetary unit of account in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives, and formerly in Burma, and Afghanistan. Historically, the first currency called "rupee" was introduced in the 16th century...
by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
government. Unable to withstand the humiliation, Barog committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. He was buried near the incomplete tunnel. The area came to be known as Barog after him.
Soon another tunnel was built by H.S. Harrington, Chief Engineer in Railways at that time.
This tunnel is the longest of the 103 operational tunnels on the route of the Shimla-Kalka Railway, which is 1143.61m long. Barog station is immediately after the tunnel. Barog tunnel is the straightest tunnel in the World.
Trains take about 2.5 minutes to cross this tunnel, running at 25 kilometres per hour.
Geography
Barog is located at 30°53′24"N 77°4′55"E at a distance of 60 km from ChandigarhChandigarh
Chandigarh is a union territory of India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, in the city...
. Shimla
Shimla
Shimla , formerly known as Simla, is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of the British Raj in India. A popular tourist destination, Shimla is often referred to as the "Queen of Hills," a term coined by the British...
, the capital city of Himachal Pradesh is another 65 km from Barog.
Till 2003, National Highway 22 connecting Chandigarh with Shimla passed through Barog. On 6 December 2003, the new section of the highway was inaugurated that would connect the village of Kumarhatti directly to Solan, thus bypassing Barog. This was done to avoid the steep incline to Barog from Kumarhatti.
Barog is located at a height of 1560 metres above the mean sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. Due to its height, temperatures here range between 23 to 10 °C during summers and between 15 to 5 °C during winters. The summers last from April to July. Winters set in during December and typically last up to February.
Economy
The economy of Barog is primarily dependent upon tourists, who come here due to its cool climate and close vicinity from Chandigarh. Many hotels including a Himachal tourism resort called Pinewood operate in Barog. Barog is also influenced economically by the nearby Lawrence School, Sanawar.Barog also serves as a fitness camp for the Indian National Hockey and other athletic teams.