GURUGRAM: The Sharad Navratri fair at the Shri Sheetla Mata temple in Gurugram will run from 11 October to 20 October, and the temple's shrine board has begun lining up police, health, civic, fire and power teams to handle the crowds. The details came out of a review meeting chaired by Sumit Kumar, chief executive officer of the Shri Mata Sheetla Devi Shrine Board, which the Haryana government's information department reported on 8 October.
The release describes the shrine as an ancient and well known temple, and says the board and the departments concerned are finalising arrangements because a large number of devotees are expected. Special religious events will be held during the Navratri period, it adds, though it does not list them or give any darshan or aarti timings.
Kumar asked every department to complete its work on time and to coordinate with the others, and to keep watching the arrangements through the fair rather than only before it opens. The meeting was attended by two ACPs named Praveen and Sanjay, Deputy CMO Dr Vikas, temple officer Yugdutt Sharma and officials from the police, health, municipal corporation, fire, transport and electricity departments.
Police were told to look after security in the temple complex and the area around it, to control crowds and to keep traffic moving. The meeting asked for vehicle movement at parking sites to be kept smooth and for steps that make it easier for devotees to come and go. Given the expected footfall, extra vehicles are to be arranged and run as needed. The release does not say where these vehicles will ply or from which points.
The health department has been asked to keep enough medical teams, ambulances and first aid facilities ready. Drinking water got separate attention. Officials were told to watch water quality closely, to draw samples regularly from the sources in the fair area and have them tested, and to clean water tanks and other sources. If a sample shows a shortfall, the health department is to act at once with the agency concerned.
The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram has to ensure regular cleaning across the fair area, drinking water, clean public toilets and proper waste management. The fire department has been asked to keep every necessary fire safety arrangement in place, and the electricity department to give uninterrupted supply with an alternative ready in case of a fault.
What the release leaves out
The release is a record of instructions, not a visitor guide. It gives no parking locations, no diversion plan, no shuttle routes and no opening hours for the fair. Devotees who plan to go, especially on weekends and the final days, will need those details from the police and the shrine board before they travel, and Dalimss News will report them if they are published.
The shrine is run by its own board, which is why the meeting was chaired by the board's chief executive officer, and the release says the board and the departments concerned are finalising the arrangements together.
The board can bring the departments around one table, but each of them still has to deliver its own piece, from ambulances to toilets. Whether they do will be visible on the ground when the fair opens on Sunday, 11 October.
For residents who live near the temple, the practical questions are about roads and parking. Police have been told to regulate traffic and parking, but no specific restriction has been announced yet. If you plan a visit by car, check the Gurugram Traffic Police's advisories close to the date and think about public transport or a shared ride, since parking sites and diversions may change from day to day.
Families going with children or older relatives may want to avoid the busiest hours and follow the instructions of volunteers and police inside the complex. The release asks for crowd control, medical cover and fire safety, but these only work when devotees keep to queues and leave exits clear. Carry drinking water and keep valuables close, as at any large gathering.
With a large crowd expected over ten days, the roads near the temple are likely to be busy. For earlier coverage of Gurugram's temples and historic sites, see the Haryana Tourism list of heritage places in Gurugram. On road work, see how GMDA cleared 495 km of roads, footpaths and cycle tracks.
Source: Haryana Government press release dated 8 October 2026, on preparations for the Sharad Navratri fair at the Shri Sheetla Mata temple, Gurugram. Names and figures are as given in the release, which was in Hindi and has been paraphrased here.
