The parking crisis at Prachin Shree Kali Mata Mandir in Kalka continues to cause daily traffic congestion, with a promised parking project still delayed because authorities have not secured land for the facility.
Thousands of devotees visiting the ancient temple face traffic jams and limited parking, according to a report by the Times of India. The problem becomes more severe during Navratri, when higher footfall pushes visitors to leave vehicles along narrow and potholed roadsides stretching towards Parwanoo near the Himachal Pradesh border.
The proposed parking facility was planned on land adjacent to the temple by the Shri Mata Mansa Devi Shrine Board. The project was publicly announced by former Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar in 2023 and was again promised by the BJP ahead of the 2024 Haryana assembly elections.
However, the project has not moved ahead, with land availability emerging as the main administrative bottleneck. Panchkula deputy commissioner Satpal Sharma said the authorities were still trying to identify suitable land for the parking lot.
“Finding land for the parking lot is an issue. As we find it, we will construct it,” Sharma said, according to the report.
The shortage of organised parking is affecting more than temple visitors. Local residents and political figures said the congestion also disrupts the nearby market, affects daily commuters and creates difficulties for people living in the area. Vehicles parked along the roadside reduce the usable space on already narrow roads, particularly during periods of heavy temple footfall.
The temple’s location gives the parking problem a wider mobility impact. Kalka is close to the Haryana-Himachal Pradesh border, and the roadside parking reportedly extends towards Parwanoo during peak periods. This means that a facility intended to serve a religious destination is also connected to the movement of local residents, shoppers and intercity travellers.
The delay also highlights the gap between announcing a public facility and securing the land and administrative arrangements needed to build it. Although the parking project was linked to the shrine board and received public commitments, the district administration has identified land acquisition or availability as the immediate obstacle.
The Kalka MLA, Shakti Rani Sharma, was unavailable for comment when contacted, according to the report. The district administration’s next step is to identify land before construction can begin.
