Prayagraj: Lakhs of devotees heading to the Maha Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj found themselves stranded for hours as an unprecedented 300-kilometre-long traffic jam turned highways into a massive parking lot.
The gridlock, described by social media users as the "world's biggest traffic jam," stretched across major routes leading to the religious gathering, leaving many pilgrims stuck in their vehicles for extended periods, some even hundreds of kilometres away from the fair site. The bottleneck, which began over the weekend, worsened on Sunday and Monday, bringing vehicular movement to a near standstill.
Authorities in Madhya Pradesh, from where thousands of devotees were travelling, responded by stopping traffic across multiple districts to prevent further overcrowding in Prayagraj. Police halted vehicles in areas such as Katni, Jabalpur, Maihar, and Rewa, causing further delays. Loudspeaker announcements in Katni informed travellers that traffic had been halted until Monday, while in Maihar, officers directed vehicles to return toward Katni and Jabalpur to find temporary shelter.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav slammed the Uttar Pradesh government’s handling of the crisis, urging authorities to act with compassion toward the stranded pilgrims.
"The hungry, thirsty, distressed, and exhausted pilgrims stuck in traffic jams should be looked at with a humane perspective. Are common devotees not human beings?" Yadav posted on X.
He also demanded that all vehicles be made toll-free across Uttar Pradesh during the Maha Kumbh to ease congestion. "On the occasion of Maha Kumbh, vehicles should be made toll-free in UP. This will reduce travel problems and traffic jams. When films can be made entertainment tax-free, then why not exempt vehicles from tolls for this religious event?" he argued.
Yadav pointed out major trouble spots, including a 30-km-long jam near Nawabganj on the Lucknow-Prayagraj route, a bottleneck at Gauhania, 16 km before Rewa Road, and a 12-15 km congestion stretch toward Varanasi. He also highlighted reports of overcrowding in trains, with passengers even squeezing into engines in a desperate attempt to reach their destination.
Several viral videos on social media showcased the sheer scale of the chaos, with lines of vehicles stretching endlessly across multiple districts. Eyewitnesses reported that the jam extended nearly 250 kilometres from Katni to the Madhya Pradesh-Uttar Pradesh border at Chakghat in Rewa district.
Responding to the crisis, Madhya Pradesh BJP president V.D. Sharma called on party workers to assist stranded pilgrims. "All workers are requested to help the devotees heading to Maha Kumbh in every possible way. Arrange food and shelter if needed. Ensure that no devotee faces inconvenience. Let us play our role in this Maha Yagya," he urged in a post on X.
Frustrated pilgrims also shared their grievances over the traffic mismanagement. A group from Faridabad lamented that a journey that should have taken a few hours lasted more than 24. A Jaipur-based family shared their distress, stating they were stuck for hours just to cover a mere four-kilometre stretch.
With the Maha Kumbh continuing until February 26, authorities face mounting pressure to resolve the traffic chaos and ensure the smooth movement of devotees in the coming weeks.
With IANS inputs