Kalighat Skywalk: Smooth Walk, But Parking Woes No More
After the inauguration of the Kalighat Skywalk, visitor movement has become smoother and traffic congestion has eased considerably with difficulty in parking.
Ever since the grand unveiling of the Skywalk at Kalighat, it’s fair to say the temple-bound faithful have been over the moon. No longer must they elbow their way through a right royal scrum on the streets below; instead, they now glide straight to the temple, as smooth as butter. As a result, the usual pandemonium on the surrounding roads has, quite miraculously, simmered down with parking problems. Driving around Kalighat these days isn’t quite the dog’s breakfast it used to be — you can actually get from A to B without needing a stiff drink afterwards.
However, before we all start cracking open the bubbly, there’s still a rather large fly in the ointment — parking. Or rather, the utter lack of it. For donkey’s years, visitors have been tearing their hair out trying to find a spot to park their beloved motors, often ending up in some kerbside chaos that would make even the most seasoned London cabbie weep.
Well, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has finally decided enough’s enough. Word on the street is that the KMC is giving a new lease of life to an old municipal building not a stone’s throw from the temple. The plan? To turn it into a spanking new parking lot. Jolly good idea, we say.
According to the powers that be, the ground floor of this grand old building will soon be able to accommodate around 60 to 65 motorbikes, with the basement playing host to about 20 cars. Not exactly Buckingham Palace-sized, but it’ll certainly take the edge off.
A little trip down memory lane reveals that this building was originally put up some 25 years ago as a treatment centre for malaria patients. Sadly, that plan went down the drain faster than you can say “quinine.” Later, during the COVID era, it found a second wind as a night shelter for beggars and vagabonds. Since then, however, it’s been left to gather dust, pigeons, and the occasional dodgy entrepreneur who decided the front yard made a fine spot for a bit of business on the side.
The Corporation has now given these opportunists the old heave-ho, and is busy cleaning the place up. Work is afoot to demarcate proper parking areas, fit the premises with lighting, CCTV cameras, and other bits and bobs to ensure the place doesn’t turn into the Wild West after dark. If all goes according to plan — and let’s all touch wood here — the parking facility should be up and running in double-quick time.
A senior municipal official was overheard saying, “Once this parking lot is operational, visitors to Kalighat Temple will find it a lot easier to park their vehicles.” A right touch, no doubt, for the countless pilgrims and tourists who’ve long had to play a game of musical chairs just to find a spot for their wheels.
So, next time you fancy popping over to Kalighat, you might just be able to leave your car without having to say a little prayer first. Hallelujah to that!
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