A massive rush of devotees at Kainchi Dham in Uttarakhand has triggered severe traffic congestion, leaving thousands of travellers and pilgrims stranded for hours. The situation has been reported on the Nainital-Almora highway during the extended Gandhi Jayanti weekend.
Children and Elderly Travellers Among Those Stuck
Vehicles have been stuck in long queues around Kainchi Dham, Bhawali and surrounding routes. Reports say passengers, including children and elderly people, have faced long waits inside vehicles, with some travellers complaining of exhaustion, hunger and thirst.
Videos circulating online show the scale of the congestion, with vehicles barely moving along the highway. Some travellers have reportedly decided to turn back because of the prolonged traffic delays.
Journey Taking Hours Longer
The traffic chaos has affected routes connecting Haldwani, Nainital, Almora, Bageshwar and Pithoragarh. According to local reports, journeys that normally take a few hours have stretched dramatically, with some passengers reporting waits of several hours in the traffic.
Administration Activates Traffic Plan
Authorities have deployed additional traffic personnel and introduced measures including route diversions and shuttle services from areas such as Bhimtal and Bhawali to manage the crowd. A special traffic plan has also been put in place amid the continuing rush.
Massive Weekend Crowd
The traffic surge comes as large numbers of tourists and devotees have travelled towards Uttarakhand during the three-day holiday weekend. Kainchi Dham, a major spiritual destination associated with Neem Karoli Baba, has witnessed an especially heavy influx of visitors.
While devotees continue to arrive, the unprecedented crowd has raised concerns about traffic management, parking and the capacity of the narrow hill roads to handle such a large number of vehicles at once.