This page gives an account of Kalka, at the foot of the Shivalik ranges. Kalka acts as a gateway to the eastern part of Himachal Pradesh, 'The land of Gods', which is about 14 kilometers from Chandigarh. Kalka, a major town of Panchkula district in Haryana, lies en route on NH 22 on the road from Chandigarh to Shimla. Kalka is the main endpoint of the Kalka-Shimla Railway. The town derives its name from the Goddess Kali of the Hindu pantheon. An old temple of Goddess Kali is found in Kalka.

A narrow-gauge railway was completed in 1904 between Kalka and Shimla. Although the time taken by train takes four and a half hours as compared to two and a half hours by road, the railway trip has an aura of relaxation that cannot be matched. . The track follows the old tonga (horse-drawn cart) road for 96 kilometers and it passes through appproximately 103 tunnels. Three daily trains operate daily between between Kalka and Shimla, two of which connect with trains from Delhi. Flights are available from Delhi and Chandigarh.

The road criss-crosses the railway track for much of the way. At Dharmpur about 33kilometers from Kalka, there is a turning to the quaint hill station of Kasauli, 15 kilometers away at an altitude of 6,400 feet. On a neighbouring ridge, a few kilometers to the north, is, the Lawrence School at Sanawar-one of India's foremost schools where Kipling sent his hero, Kim, to be educated. Kalka was an important rest town for the British that went over to Shimla. Shimla, the summer capital of India at a height of 2076 meters offers a bird's-eye view to experience the magnificence of the picturesque Himalayas.

Last Updated on : 4/9/2012