Narkanda has mythological significance, with the hills believed to be a site where the Pandavas resided during their exile. Little is known about the history of the place as it was merely a sparsely inhabited hilly area. However, its history can be vaguely linked to the history of Shimla. The area was ruled by the Kashmiri King Sankar Varma, followed by the invasion of Mahmud Ghazni, and then by the Rajput king Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The territory was also ruled by the Mughals, after which the Gorkhas, who had been ruling Nepal since 1768, began to expand their rule by building forts around Shimla and significantly damaging the territory under the leadership of Amar Singh Thapa. On January 25, 1971, the Himachal Pradesh Act was declared, making it a separate state by Parliament, with Shimla as a district of the state, and Narkanda as one of its towns. The fate of Narkanda changed when Mr. Satyanand Stokes introduced apple cultivation to Narkanda and nearby areas, greatly contributing to the local economy. Today, Rs 3,000 crore in direct and indirect income for Himachal is generated through apple production. Cherry cultivation is also becoming a major occupation in the area.
