“Ever heard of a village named after a person?” That’s Tikri Kalan for you. We are standing in a place that echoes with the stories of its past. Tikri Kalan is a village and census town in North West Delhi. It sits right on the Delhi-Rohtak Road, also known as National Highway 10.
The village’s history is rooted in the “Drall” Gotra of the Jat Community and “Bhardwaj” Gotra of the Brahman Community. What’s a Gotra you ask? It’s like a clan or lineage. This village gets its name from Ch. Teka Drall. He must have been quite the figure.
Khurd and Kalan are Persian words. They mean small and large respectively. Villagers used these terms to distinguish between settlements. It helped to differentiate big villages from small ones when they shared a name. The Drall surname is common among Jats. They live in the areas around Delhi and Haryana.
Tikri Kalan was once home to a famous wrestler. His name was Gulab Pehalwan. This man was an eminent personality back in the 1900s. People sought his wisdom far and wide. He was known for fair dispute resolutions. His sons, Chaudhary Har Lal and Chaudhary Bohat Ram, carried on this legacy. Later their successors did too.
Interestingly, Tikri Kalan is known for its coaching center. It is called the Fourth Lord. You’ll find it on the Delhi-Rohtak Road. Many castes live here.
In 2011, a census recorded some interesting facts about Tikri Kalan. About 3,455 houses stood here. The population was 16,313. Of this, 9,247 were males and 7,066 were females. Children aged 0-6 numbered 2,530. That’s 15.51% of the total population. The Female Sex Ratio was 764. This was lower than the state average. Child Sex Ratio stood around 831. The state average was higher. Tikri Kalan’s literacy rate was 81.47%. Male literacy was 89.19%. Female literacy was 71.21%.
Haryanvi is the local language here. More specifically, it’s the Deshwali dialect.
A significant number of people are employed here. 5,728 residents engage in work and business. 95.90% of these people are engaged in main work. A smaller percentage, 4.10%, are engaged in marginal work.
Also, there is a metro station here. It is on the Green Line of the Delhi Metro. The Tikri Kalan metro station opened on June 24, 2018.
The story of Tikri Kalan is a mix of history, community, and change. From its origins with Teka Drall to its modern-day connectivity. Tikri Kalan stands as a testament to Delhi’s evolving landscape.