Do you know Baba Bhalku? The man behind Kalka Shimla rail route

Kalka Shimla rail route, a narrow-gauge railway in North India, built on a mountainous route from Kalka to Shimla is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. However, very few have heard about Baba Bhalku, who played a crucial role in the construction of the scenic railway route.

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh):The narrow-gauge Kalka-Shimla Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage site, comprises 889 bridges and 103 tunnels, the largest of which is 1.14 km long. However, very few have heard about Baba Bhalku, who played a crucial role in the construction of the scenic railway route and the longest tunnel which is also known as Barog tunnel 'No.33'. The railway track between Shimla and Kalka which encompasses a mountainous terrain was laid in the year 1903, under the supervision of a British engineer Col. S Barog.

In a bid to construct the longest tunnel on the route, Col S Barog got his team to dig from both sides of the mountain only to realise that he had made a grave mistake in the alignment. This led the then British government to chastise Barog and levy on him a fine of Re 1 for wasting their time. Unable to bear the insult, the British officer had committed suicide.

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Later, Chief Engineer HS Harrington who took up the project also faced a similar issue and it was then that Baba Bhalku a local from Jhajha village near Chail, had offered help to the former in resolving the issue. It is learnt that Baba Bhalku had helped the team of engineers led by Harringon complete the alignment perfectly with the help of a simple wooden staff. Bhalku is said to have tapped the walls of the mountain using his staff and listening to the sound generated would mark out the points for the team to dig. It turned out that, Baba Bhalku was accurate in his measurements.

Bust of Baba Bhalku

According to the Shimla Gazette, the British government had honoured Bhalku with a turban and a medal. Even to this day, the residents of Jhaja village near Chail, which is a famous tourist destination in Solan district speak of his extraordinary skills.

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It was within a span of 3 years, that the 1143.61-meter long tunnel was built at a cost of Rs 8.40 lakh rupees in those days. There are 889 bridges and 103 tunnels on the Kalka-Shimla railway route, but at present, there are only 102 tunnels as tunnel No. 43 had collapsed due to a landslide.

In July 2011, Baba Bhalku Rail Museum was built near the old bus stand of Shimla. Several old pictures and statues of Baba Bhalku have been put up which shows the construction of the Kalka Shimla railway line. The museum is now maintained by the Northern Railway.