Maha Kumbh: 300 km Traffic Jam Blocks Highways to Prayagraj — Is This the World’s Largest Jam?
Maha Kumbh festival are facing severe hardships as they are stranded in massive traffic jams on highways leading to the city.
Thousands of devotees traveling to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh festival are facing severe hardships as they are stranded in massive traffic jams on highways leading to the city. Reports indicate that the queues of stranded vehicles stretch for hundreds of kilometers, with some sources claiming traffic jams have reached up to 300 km in length.
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Despite the expectation that the crowds would decrease after the Basant Panchmi Amrit Snan, the situation has instead worsened, with thousands continuing to make their way to the holy city for a sacred dip in the Ganga.
Highway Gridlock and Long Waits for Devotees
As more devotees rush to participate in the Kumbh, the traffic situation has become increasingly unmanageable. The police in several districts of neighboring Madhya Pradesh were forced to stop vehicle movement on certain routes leading to Prayagraj due to the unbearable congestion. “It’s impossible to go towards Prayagraj today as there is a traffic jam of 200-300 kilometers,” said an officer from the Rewa zone of Madhya Pradesh.
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The situation has left many travelers stuck for extended periods, with some reports stating that vehicles are taking up to 10-12 hours just to cover 50 kilometers. One frustrated traveler described the gridlock, saying, “It is being claimed that vehicles are stuck for 48 hours.”
Traffic Delays Affecting Multiple Routes
The jams are not limited to one area but span multiple major routes. Significant traffic congestion has been reported on roads from Varanasi, Lucknow, and Kanpur, with a jam of up to 25 kilometers in some places. Even inside Prayagraj, the city hosting the mega event, a seven-kilometer-long traffic jam was witnessed.
In response to the massive crowds, authorities have implemented a single-direction traffic system at Prayagraj Junction to manage the flow of vehicles and pedestrians. However, the high number of people trying to reach the Kumbh Mela site has made the situation more challenging.
Train Station Shut and Essential Shortages
To avoid overcrowding and any potential accidents, the Prayagraj Sangam Railway Station was temporarily closed. Kuldeep Tiwari, a railway officer, explained that the decision was made to prevent further difficulty for passengers trying to exit the station amid the heavy crowd. The situation has also led to shortages of essential commodities in the city, with Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav criticizing the Uttar Pradesh government for its failure to manage the traffic crisis.
Record Pilgrims at the Maha Kumbh
Despite the chaos on the roads, the Maha Kumbh continues to draw huge crowds. Authorities reported that over 46 lakh devotees have taken a holy dip in the Sangam today, with the total number of pilgrims participating in the event since its commencement reaching an astonishing 44 crore.
The traffic congestion and logistical challenges, however, are highlighting the difficulties in managing one of the largest religious gatherings in the world. While the situation is expected to ease in a few days, as suggested by the police, the ongoing gridlock has made it clear that much more needs to be done to accommodate the tens of millions of devotees attending the festival.
As Prayagraj prepares for the continuing influx of pilgrims, the authorities are working in coordination with local administration to ease the traffic situation and ensure the safety and comfort of all attendees.
