DEHRADUN: The three-day Gandhi Jayanti weekend has triggered a heavy rush of tourists and pilgrims in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, with traffic congestion reported on key routes leading to Manali, Shimla and Mussoorie, as well as pilgrimage sites including Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri.The rush followed the October 2 government holiday, with tourists using the extended weekend to travel to hill stations while pilgrims headed to Uttarakhand’s Char Dham shrines.
Heavy traffic on Chandigarh-Shimla route
The Chandigarh-Shimla National Highway-5 witnessed heavy traffic on Friday as tourists headed towards Himachal Pradesh. Long queues of vehicles were reported on the Kalka-Shimla highway, with traffic moving slowly for several hours.The journey, which normally takes around three-and-a-half to four hours, was taking several additional hours amid the traffic surge. Vehicles were lined up for several kilometres, while traffic personnel were deployed at various points to regulate movement.The congestion also affected local residents and vehicles providing essential services.
Manali sees heavy tourist rush
A visuals shared by news agency ANI, Manali witnessed a major influx of tourists during the long weekend, leading to congestion on several mountain roads as long queues of vehicles as tourists arrived in large numbers.
Seven-km jam on Badrinath route
In Uttarakhand, heavy congestion was reported on the routes to Badrinath Dham and Hemkund Sahib as pilgrim numbers increased during the long weekend.A traffic jam stretching around seven kilometres was reported between Joshimath and Marwari, with vehicles queued from the Zero Band area towards Marwari. Pilgrims reportedly took between one and three hours to cover the stretch, with traffic moving briefly before coming to a halt again.The congestion also raised safety concerns as some vehicles were forced close to the edge of the road. The route had witnessed traffic problems during the monsoon as well, with congestion resurfacing during the final phase of the pilgrimage season.The Hemkund Sahib pilgrimage is also in its final phase, while the ongoing Pitru Paksha period has kept the flow of devotees to Badrinath Dham steady.
Char Dham routes see increased pilgrim movement
The weekend rush also led to increased movement of pilgrims on other Char Dham routes.Rudraprayag Police shared post on X and said that the number of devotees visiting Kedarnath Dham had increased sharply due to the weekend, with pilgrims seen waiting in queues and moving towards the shuttle service.Meanwhile, Uttarkashi Police also posted on X and said the pilgrimage to Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham was proceeding smoothly, with the routes open and traffic moving without disruption.The heavy tourist and pilgrim movement across the two states has resulted in prolonged delays on several routes during the extended weekend.
