Ayudha Puja rush: Chennai runs 14,963 bus trips over four days from Kilambakkam
Representative image: TobiasBrunner / Pixabay
Tamil Nadu is running 14,963 bus trips from Chennai between October 15 and 18, 2026 for Ayudha Puja, with 9,191 buses back on October 20 and 21.
What Happened
Tamil Nadu's transport department is running 14,963 bus trips out of Chennai over four days, from Thursday, October 15 to Sunday, October 18, 2026, to carry people home for the Ayudha Puja and Vijayadashami holidays. The total is made up of 8,764 regular trips and 6,199 special services, according to the department's plan announced earlier this week. For the return journey, 9,191 buses, including 4,809 special services, are planned towards Chennai on October 20 and 21. Buses are leaving from several points in the city, with the Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus at Kilambakkam acting as the main hub for southern routes, and temporary stands set up at Maraimalai Nagar and near the CMDA Climate Park at Kilambakkam to spread the crowds.
Key Facts
- 14,963 bus trips are planned from Chennai between October 15 and 18, 2026.
- Of these, 8,764 are regular trips and 6,199 are special services.
- 9,191 buses, including 4,809 specials, will run towards Chennai on October 20 and 21 for the return rush.
- Kilambakkam bus terminus handles most buses to southern and western Tamil Nadu, including routes via Tindivanam.
- A temporary stand near the CMDA Climate Park at Kilambakkam serves some routes, including towards Tiruvannamalai, Polur, Chetpet and Vandavasi, according to reports.
- A temporary stand has also been set up at Maraimalai Nagar, with free connecting buses from the MTC terminus at Kilambakkam.
- Koyambedu and Madhavaram bus stands continue to operate as usual.
Why It Matters
Ayudha Puja and Vijayadashami are among the busiest travel days of the year in Tamil Nadu. Lakhs of people who work in Chennai head back to their home towns in the south and west of the state, and trains on the main routes fill up within minutes of booking opening. For many families, the state's buses are the only affordable way home. A long weekend that runs into the festival makes the rush sharper, because the outward journeys are bunched into a few evenings and the return trips into two days.
The plan tries to spread that load across the city. Since the Kilambakkam terminus opened as Chennai's main gateway for southbound buses, the transport department has had to manage how passengers reach it from other parts of the city. Temporary stands at Maraimalai Nagar and near the Climate Park, and free shuttles linking them, are meant to stop a single terminus from being overwhelmed. Passengers are being told to check which stand their bus leaves from before setting out, since some routes have moved for the festival period.
The return schedule matters just as much. With 9,191 buses lined up for October 20 and 21, the department is trying to avoid the scenes of crowded terminals and long waits that often follow a festival weekend, when everyone tries to get back to work on the same day.
| Chennai festival bus plan | Numbers |
|---|---|
| Outward trips, Oct 15 to 18 | 14,963 |
| Of which regular trips | 8,764 |
| Of which special services | 6,199 |
| Return buses, Oct 20 and 21 | 9,191 (4,809 special) |
Impact
Short-term: Travellers leaving Chennai this weekend have far more buses to choose from, but should expect heavy traffic around Kilambakkam, especially in the evenings. Anyone with a reserved seat should confirm the boarding point, as some routes have been shifted to the temporary stands at Maraimalai Nagar or near the Climate Park.
Long-term: The festival plan is a test of how well Kilambakkam and its feeder arrangements cope with peak demand. How it works this weekend will shape the department's arrangements for Deepavali in November, when an even bigger rush is expected.
Who is affected: People travelling from Chennai to southern, central and western Tamil Nadu for the holidays; residents and commuters around the bus terminals; bus crews and transport staff working extra shifts; and families waiting to welcome relatives home.
Key Takeaway
Chennai will see nearly 15,000 bus trips out of the city over four days and more than 9,000 buses back, as Tamil Nadu tries to move the Ayudha Puja holiday crowd without jamming a single terminus.
Questions and Answers
How many special buses are running from Chennai for Ayudha Puja 2026?
Tamil Nadu's transport department has planned 14,963 trips from Chennai between October 15 and 18, 2026, made up of 8,764 regular trips and 6,199 special services.
Where do Ayudha Puja special buses leave from in Chennai?
Most southbound buses leave from the Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus at Kilambakkam. Temporary stands have been set up near the CMDA Climate Park at Kilambakkam and at Maraimalai Nagar, and Koyambedu and Madhavaram continue to operate as usual.
Are there extra buses to return to Chennai after the festival?
Yes. The department has planned 9,191 buses, including 4,809 special services, towards Chennai on October 20 and 21.
How do I reach the temporary bus stand at Maraimalai Nagar?
Free connecting buses run between the MTC bus terminus at Kilambakkam and the temporary stand at Maraimalai Nagar during the festival period.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
Sourced and fact-checked by the Peepals Global Editorial Team
Reported, fact-checked and published by the Peepals Global Editorial Team.
