The extended Gandhi Jayanti break turned popular hill stations and pilgrimage destinations across Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand into major tourist hotspots, but the unprecedented rush also brought traffic movement to a crawl. From Manali and Shimla to Mussoorie, Badrinath and Kainchi Dham, thousands of vehicles converged on mountain roads, creating long queues and extended travel times.
The three-day holiday, beginning with the October 2 government holiday and followed by Saturday and Sunday, prompted a large number of people from Delhi-NCR and neighbouring states to head towards the hills. The rush was visible even before the holiday officially began, with several parts of Delhi witnessing increased congestion on Thursday.
Himachal Pradesh witnessed a sharp rise in tourist movement during the long weekend. Manali, one of the state's most popular destinations, experienced heavy traffic as visitors arrived in large numbers. Traffic congestion was reported across several stretches, with visuals showing vehicles moving slowly through the town and surrounding routes.
The Kalka-Shimla highway was another major trouble spot. Several kilometres of vehicles were reportedly caught in slow-moving traffic, with some motorists remaining stuck for hours. The normally three-and-a-half to four-hour journey to Shimla was taking considerably longer because of the unusually heavy flow of vehicles.
The surge highlights the continuing challenge faced by hill destinations during holiday periods, when narrow roads have to accommodate a sudden multiplication in tourist traffic.
Uttarakhand's Mussoorie also witnessed a significant tourist influx on Friday. Vehicles from Delhi-NCR, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab crowded the Mussoorie-Dehradun Road, resulting in long queues and slow traffic.
Hotel occupancy in the hill town reached around 90%, reflecting the scale of the weekend rush. Traffic was particularly affected around Library Bazaar and on roads leading towards Kempty Fall, where tourist vehicles added to the pressure on already busy mountain routes.
The congestion was not restricted to the hill stations. Delhi itself saw increased traffic ahead of the holiday, with areas including Mandi House, Kashmere Gate, Akshardham and Pragati Maidan experiencing noticeable congestion as commuters and travellers began leaving the capital.
The holiday rush extended beyond conventional tourist destinations to some of Uttarakhand's prominent religious sites. Roads towards Badrinath Dham and Hemkund Sahib saw heavy movement of pilgrims, resulting in significant traffic congestion.
A traffic jam reportedly extending for around seven kilometres was witnessed between Joshimath and Marwari, with vehicles forming long queues along the mountain route.
Kainchi Dham near Nainital also attracted a large number of visitors. The shrine associated with spiritual teacher Baba Neem Karoli witnessed a substantial influx during the long weekend. The increased public interest surrounding the recently released film Hanuman Ansh was also reported as one factor contributing to the visitor rush.
The scenes across the region underline the immense popularity of Himalayan destinations during extended holidays. While the influx provides a boost to local hotels, restaurants, transport operators and other businesses, the resulting pressure on mountain roads also exposes the need for effective traffic management, parking arrangements and coordinated tourist movement during peak periods.
Leave Your Comment