Manali witnessed traffic congestion during the Gandhi Jayanti long weekend as thousands of tourists travelled to Himachal Pradesh, turning several mountain roads into long stretches of slow-moving vehicles. The rush was reported from the town’s entrance towards Mall Road, Solang Nullah and the Atal Tunnel, with travellers facing lengthy delays on routes that normally take only a short time.
The three-day holiday weekend, combining the October 2 Gandhi Jayanti holiday with Saturday and Sunday, prompted an increase in tourist arrivals across Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Manali, along with Shimla and Dharamshala, was among the destinations reporting heavy traffic. Tourism representatives said hotel occupancy in tourist centres had also risen during the period.
Videos showing rows of vehicles on Manali’s roads spread across social media, prompting a wider discussion about the pressures created by concentrated tourism in fragile mountain regions. Several users criticised the dependence on private cars, while others pointed to limited public transport and the difficulty of taking leave from work as factors encouraging people to travel during long weekends.
Some social media users suggested creating parking facilities in lower areas and using local taxis or state buses for travel into crowded hill destinations. The discussion also revived concerns about traffic management, parking capacity and sustainable tourism.
The congestion is not new for Manali, which regularly experiences traffic pressure during peak tourist periods. The rush has once again highlighted the challenge of balancing tourism-dependent local businesses with the need to manage road capacity and environmental pressures in Himalayan destinations.
