Kalka

Kalka is a city in the Panchkula district of Haryana, India. It is near Panchkula city. The name of the town is derived from the Hindu goddess Kali. Kalka is situated in the foothills of the Himalayas and is a gateway to Himachal Pradesh; it is located on the National Highway 5 between Chandigarh and Shimla, near Solan and it is the terminus of the Kalka-Shimla Railway. To the south of Kalka is Pinjore, and the industrial village of Parwanoo (Himachal Pradesh) is to the north on NH 22. Railways and Industrial development have led to a continuous urban belt from Pinjore to Parwanoo, but Kalka gained major economic benefits due to being the only highway destination until 2010 from Shimla. It is the tehsil of 253 nearby sub-villages. Nearby is Chandimandir Cantonment, where the Western Command of the Indian army is based. In 2013, the municipal committee of Kalka was dissolved and the administration was reassigned to Panchkula Municipal Corporation.

==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 the Shimla district and in 1899 to the Ambala district. The main center part was established by Pundir Rajputs of Haryana and the area was under them and this town was governed by local Rajputi zamindars. In the 1800s, the British occupied the land from local zamindars for rail development, which led to an economic boost for the town. 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 a market for ginger and turmeric. The Kalka municipal committee was created on 11 April 1933.