Kainchi Dham is currently grappling with unprecedented traffic surges and gridlock, with vehicle queues stretching for miles, following a massive wave of spiritual interest ignited by the release of the film Hanuman Ansh.
IMAGE: Neem Karoli Baba’s ashram Kainchi Dham. Photograph: Nick Bisht/Wikipedia Commons
Key Points
- Kainchi Dham is experiencing severe traffic congestion, with vehicle queues extending up to 20 km, attributed to increased spiritual interest after the film Hanuman Ansh.
- The area, designed for 4,000 vehicles, saw 25,000-30,000 vehicles and devotees over the weekend, causing travel times to jump from 2 hours to 10 to 12 hours.
- Local police have implemented strict traffic restrictions, including banning non-local two-wheelers and diverting hill-bound traffic, to manage the gridlock.
Neem Karoli Baba’s ashram Kainchi Dham, located in the Kumaon hills of Uttarakhand, is experiencing a massive, unprecedented traffic surge and gridlock, with vehicle queues stretching between 3 to 20 km along the major connecting routes.
The unexpected explosion in crowd numbers is due to a huge wave of interest following the release of the blockbuster Hanuman Ansh.
Unprecedented Pilgrim Influx
Local authorities report that while the area’s infrastructure is built to handle roughly 4,000 vehicles, over 25,000 to 30,000 vehicles and devotees flooded the routes over the weekend.
Travel times on the Haldwani-Kainchi Dham and Nainital-Bhowali routes have dramatically jumped from a standard two hours to about 10-12 hours, leaving many pilgrims stranded or forced to walk over 5 km to reach the Neem Karoli Baba ashram.
Emergency Traffic Measures Implemented
IMAGE: Shobhinaw Satyaa in Hanuman Ansh.
To bring the severe traffic congestion under control, the local police administration has implemented strict emergency traffic routing and restrictions: Non-local two-wheelers are strictly banned from entering the Kainchi route from Haldwani, Kathgodam, Kaladhungi and Khairna.
Only local residents with proper identification are permitted to use private two-wheelers.
Hill-bound traffic is being actively diverted via the Kathgodam-Bhimtal route. One-way traffic movement has been enforced on the Jyolikot highway.
Advice for Pilgrims
Many pilgrims are currently being forced to return without getting darshan due to the sheer size of the 4 km long queues. It is advised to delay your trip by a few days until the long weekend rush subsides.
Photograph curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
