Long weekend rush chokes Rishikesh, massive traffic jams reported

The pilgrimage town of Rishikesh witnessed a heavy influx of tourists and pilgrims during a long weekend, resulting in prolonged traffic jams across several key routes. The rush also impacted the Char Dham routes, with Kedarnath seeing a high number of devotees.

Heavy Tourist Rush Causes Gridlock in Rishikesh

With the long weekend underway and the Char Dham Yatra returning to normal, the pilgrimage town of Rishikesh witnessed a heavy influx of tourists and pilgrims, resulting in prolonged traffic jams across several key routes on Saturday.

The increased footfall followed the October 2 government holiday on Friday, with Saturday and Sunday still ahead, as tourists made the most of the extended break by heading to hill stations.

The volume of vehicles on the city roads increased steadily throughout the day, with traffic movement severely affected from Rishikesh to Natraj, Shyampur, Muni Ki Reti and Tapovan.

A large number of tourists arriving in private vehicles added to the pressure on the roads, leading to long queues and slow movement at several points.

Traffic congestion began building up from the morning on Haridwar Road, Dehradun Road, the Lakshman Jhula route and Chandrabhaga Bridge.

The traffic pressure continued through the afternoon, with police and traffic personnel working throughout the day to regulate the movement of vehicles and clear the congestion.

The prolonged traffic jams caused considerable inconvenience to locals as well as tourists and pilgrims travelling through the town. People remained stuck on the roads amid scorching heat, making the journey more difficult.

Char Dham Yatra Sees Increased Pilgrim Footfall

Rudraprayag Police said that parking lots in Sitapur and Sonprayag were full due to the weekend rush, as the number of devotees visiting Kedarnath Dham increased.

📅 Date 03 October 2026 | Time 18:30 hrs 🚨 Due to the weekend, the parking in Sitapur and Sonprayag is full. 🚩 The number of devotees reaching Kedarnath Dham has increased. 🙏 Devotees are requested to keep an eye on updates related to traffic and parking arrangements during the yatra and… pic.twitter.com/tYZ8jlv9Ry — Rudraprayag Police Uttarakhand (@RudraprayagPol) October 3, 2026

The weekend rush also resulted in a rise in pilgrim movement along the Char Dham routes.

🗓️ Date: 03 October 2026🕗 Time: 08:00 hrs 🔱 Kedarnath Dham Yatra Update 🔱 📍 Sonprayag: Due to the weekend, the number of devotees is extremely high. Devotees are moving forward in queues for the shuttle service. 🚌 After getting the shuttle service, devotees can proceed from Gaurikund at their convenience… pic.twitter.com/Ah3Yz9Sogs — Rudraprayag Police Uttarakhand (@RudraprayagPol) October 3, 2026

Rudraprayag Police said in a post on X that the number of devotees visiting Kedarnath Dham had increased significantly, with pilgrims seen standing in queues and making their way towards the shuttle service.

(ANI)

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