# Kali Mata Mandir, Kalka: History, Timings and Route from Chandigarh

- Link: https://chdlife.com/kali-mata-mandir-kalka-panchkula/
- Published: 2026-09-21T04:44:50+05:30
- Author: Rahul Goyal

✍️ _By [Rahul Goyal](https://chdlife.com/author/rahul/)_ · Chandigarh Life

**Quick answer:** Kali Mata Mandir in Kalka, Panchkula district, is the old temple
the town is named after, and it is also called Kalka Mandir. Google Maps shows about**
28 km** and **46 minutes** by road from Chandigarh via NH 5. The listing showed 
the temple opening at **5 am** when we checked overnight; devotees visit during 
Navratri, and Wikipedia says a mela is held every year in March–April.

Kalka sits on the road from Chandigarh to Shimla and is described as a gateway to
Himachal Pradesh, so the temple is an easy stop on the way up. This guide draws 
on the Panchkula district portal, the Shri Mata Mansa Devi Shrine Board’s own page
for the temple, Wikipedia and Google Maps. We found no Haryana Tourism page for 
the temple, and the district page is short, so we mark the details that rest on 
one source.

## Kali Mata Mandir, Kalka at a glance

| Detail | What we found | 
| Name | Kali Mata Mandir, also called Kalka Mandir (district portal); listed on Google Maps as Prachin Shree Kali Mata Mandir, Kalka | 
| Where | Kali Mata Mandir, 911, Kalka–Shimla Road, Sohan Nagar, Kalka, Haryana 133302 (Google Maps) | 
| From Chandigarh | About 28.4 km, roughly 46 minutes via NH 5 on Google Maps; the district portal puts the Chandigarh airport 42 km from the temple by road | 
| Station and bus stand | Kalka Railway Station 1 km and Kalka Bus Stand 2 km by road (district portal) | 
| Timings | Google Maps showed “opens 5 am” when we checked overnight on 21 September 2026; no closing time was shown | 
| Phone | 01733 220 797 (Google Maps listing) | 
| Festivals | Devotees visit during Navratri, and a mela is held every March–April (Wikipedia) | 
| Visitor rating | 4.7 on Google Maps, about 10,400 reviews (21 September 2026) |

## The temple and the town

The district portal calls it one of the old shrines of Panchkula and a gateway to
Himachal Pradesh, and says the town of Kalka is named after the Kali Mata temple.
Wikipedia agrees that the name comes from the goddess Kali and calls Kalika Maa 
the town’s ruling deity. It describes an ancient Kali temple in Kalka that devotees
visit every year during Navratri.

Two accounts of the temple’s origin circulate. The Shrine Board’s page says that
in the Satyug the goddess Jagdamba destroyed demons including Mahishasur at this
spot, which is how the place became known as Kali Mata of Kalka. The same page, 
like Wikipedia, records a belief that the Pandavas established the temple during
their exile in the Dwapar era, and adds that a cow named Shyama used to anoint the
mother’s pinda with her milk every day, which astonished them. Both are legends 
and traditions, not dated history, and we found no independent record that confirms
them.

The temple is run by the Shri Mata Mansa Devi Shrine Board, Panchkula, whose own
site lists Kali Mata Temple (Kalka) among its temples; the signboard over the entrance
in the 2023 photograph above names the Shri Mata Mansa Devi Pujasthal Board, Panchkula.
The board also runs Mansa Devi Temple in Panchkula and Chandi Mandir, as our guides
to those temples explain.

## Visiting: timings, crowds and etiquette

 * **Timings:** the Google Maps listing showed “opens 5 am” during our overnight
   check and did not show closing time or the rest of the week, so confirm the day’s
   schedule at the temple office or on 01733 220 797. The Shrine Board’s Kalka page
   carries a general timings block headed Mata Mansa Devi (summer 4 AM to 10 PM,
   winter 5 AM to 9 PM) without saying it applies to Kalka, and the board’s office
   number is 0172-2920988.
 * **Festival days:** Wikipedia says devotees visit every year during Navratri and
   that a mela is held in March–April. Expect queues at those times.
 * **Etiquette:** remove your shoes before entering and dress modestly.

## Other places in Kalka

 * **Shri Trimurti Dham Balaji Hanuman Temple:** Wikipedia places it on a hilltop
   at the eastern edge of Kalka, overlooking Parwanoo; the name means a place where
   three idols stand together.
 * **Kalka–Shimla Railway:** the narrow-gauge line to Shimla starts from Kalka station
   and features on the UNESCO World Heritage list; work began in 1898 and it opened
   for traffic in 1903 (Wikipedia).
 * **Pinjore:** lies just south of Kalka, and our [Pinjore Garden guide](https://chdlife.com/pinjore-garden-chandigarh/)
   covers the Yadavindra Gardens.

## How to reach Kali Mata Mandir from Chandigarh

Google Maps shows 28.4 km and about 46 minutes via NH 5, with 28.1 km and 48 minutes
on another option in current traffic. The district portal says Kalka Railway Station
is 1 km from the temple and the bus stand is 2 km, and Wikipedia says many government
buses connect Kalka with Chandigarh, Ambala, Panipat, Delhi and Shimla. Kalka is
the northern terminus of the Delhi–Kalka railway line, according to Wikipedia.

## More temples and festivals

 * [Navratri at Mansa Devi Temple, Panchkula](https://chdlife.com/mansa-devi-temple-navratri-panchkula/)
   and [Chandi Mata Mandir, Panchkula](https://chdlife.com/chandi-mata-mandir-panchkula/),
   two more Devi shrines in the Panchkula area.
 * [Best places to visit for Navratri in Chandigarh](https://chdlife.com/best-places-to-visit-for-navratri-in-chandigarh/)
   for the festival season.
 * Our [Chandigarh festival calendar](https://chdlife.com/chandigarh-festival-calendar/)
   for dates across the year.

## Frequently asked questions

### Where is Kali Mata Mandir in Kalka?

It is on the Kalka–Shimla Road in Sohan Nagar, Kalka, Panchkula district, Haryana
133302, according to Google Maps. The district portal says Kalka Railway Station
is about 1 km away.

### Is the town of Kalka named after the temple?

Yes, according to the Panchkula district portal, which says the town is named because
of the Kali Mata temple. Wikipedia also says the name comes from the goddess Kali.

### How far is Kalka Mandir from Chandigarh?

Google Maps shows about 28.4 km and roughly 46 minutes via NH 5.

### What are the temple timings?

Google Maps showed “opens 5 am” when we checked overnight but no closing time. Call
the temple on 01733 220 797, the number on the Maps listing, or the Shrine Board
office on 0172-2920988 to confirm.

### When is the annual mela at Kalka?

Wikipedia says a religious mela is held in March–April every year, and that devotees
visit during Navratri.

### Who manages Kali Mata Mandir, Kalka?

The Shri Mata Mansa Devi Shrine Board, Panchkula, which lists Kali Mata Temple (
Kalka) on its own website alongside Mansa Devi Temple and Chandi Mandir.

### What can I see near Kali Mata Mandir?

Shri Trimurti Dham Balaji Hanuman Temple on a hilltop at the east edge of Kalka,
the Kalka–Shimla Railway starting from Kalka station, and Pinjore Garden to the 
south.

## Sources

 * [Panchkula district administration, Kali Mata Mandir, Kalka](https://panchkula.nic.in/tourist-place/kali-mata-mandir/)
 * [Shri Mata Mansa Devi Shrine Board, Kali Mata Temple (Kalka)](https://mansadevi.org.in/kalka-temple.php)
 * [Wikipedia, Kalka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalka)
 * [Google Maps, Prachin Shree Kali Mata Mandir, Kalka (address, phone, hours, directions from Chandigarh; read 21 Sep 2026)](https://www.google.com/maps/search/Kali+Mata+Mandir+Kalka)