Mylapore traffic has worsened as temporary Golu doll stalls along North Mada Street and South Mada Street reduce the road space available to motorists and pedestrians, adding to disruption from ongoing Chennai Metro Rail construction ahead of Navaratri.
The two streets are important routes for residents of Mylapore and Mandaveli and provide access to the Kapaleeswarar Temple, which draws large numbers of devotees, particularly during morning and evening hours. Residents said the combination of Metro work, festive shopping and temple visits has made movement increasingly difficult.
The roads have already been affected by construction-related diversions, forcing commuters to take detours to reach destinations in and around the area. The temporary stalls have occupied additional roadside space, leaving less room for vehicles and pedestrians on stretches that are also used by shoppers, temple visitors and local residents.
North Mada Street and South Mada Street are commercial corridors lined with jewellery shops, hotels and other establishments. Activity on the streets is expected to increase as Navaratri approaches, with the festive season bringing more visitors and shoppers into Mylapore. The additional footfall has raised concerns about traffic movement and pedestrian safety, although no specific accident or enforcement action was reported in the source material.
Arumugam, a Mylapore resident, said the reduced road space had become inconvenient when temple visitors, shoppers and regular commuters converged on the streets. “The situation has become unmanageable,” he said.
Another resident, Usha Rani, called for Traffic Police personnel to be deployed on both Mada streets until the Navaratri season ends. She also urged the Greater Chennai Corporation and the police to coordinate on regulating the temporary stalls and maintaining sufficient space for pedestrians and motorists.
The congestion highlights the operational challenge of managing short-term festival activity on roads already constrained by major infrastructure work. In this case, the same streets serve several functions at once: they carry through traffic, provide access to a major temple, support local commerce and accommodate temporary seasonal retail. With available carriageway space already reduced by Metro construction, even temporary roadside occupation can affect how vehicles and pedestrians move through the area.
Residents have asked authorities to take immediate steps to ease congestion and prevent further disruption on the busy stretches. The source report did not specify whether the Traffic Police or Corporation had announced a traffic plan, stall restrictions or dedicated pedestrian arrangements for the Navaratri period.
