Kalka Knowledge Guide

History

The town takes its name from Kalika maa the ruling deity. Kalka was acquired by British India from the Princely state of Patiala in 1843 as a stopover and depot for the Simla, the summer capital of the Raj. In 1846, it was transferred to then Shimla district and in 1899 to then Ambala district.It became the junction for the Delhi-Panipat-Ambala-Kalka railway line, and the Kalka - Shimla railways (opened in 1903). By 1901, the town, administered as a notified area, had a population of 7,045, a railway workshop, and was a market for ginger and turmeric. The Kalka municipal committee was created on 11 April 1933.