Roads leading to the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, were turned into parking lots by a sea of cars that were reportedly up to “300 kilometers” long. On Sunday, thousands of pilgrims who were eager to attend the largest religious event in the world were left stranded in their cars, hundreds of kilometers from the fair site.
Known to internet users as the “world’s biggest traffic jam,” the unprecedented traffic jam reportedly stretched up to 200–300 km and involved pilgrims’ vehicles traveling through Madhya Pradesh on their way to the Maha Kumbh mela. On Sunday, the police in Madhya Pradesh stopped traffic in various districts, leaving people stranded on the roads for several hours.
According to a news outlet, hundreds of cars were halted in several Madhya Pradesh locations a day earlier in order to prevent congestion and deal with the high traffic on their way to Prayagraj. Police in Madhya Pradesh stopped transportation in many regions and urged residents to seek safe havens. While Maihar Police asked vehicles to return to Katni and Jabalpur and remain there, Katni district police vehicles announced that traffic would be blocked until Monday.
“It is impossible to move towards Prayagraj today as there is a traffic jam of 200-300 kilometres,” the report quoted police as saying. Numerous social media videos depict long lines of thousands of automobiles and trucks on the roads in the MP districts of Katni, Jabalpur, Maihar, and Rewa.
Witnesses reported severe traffic congestion near Chakghat in the Rewa district, which is 250 kilometers from Katni to the MP-UP borders. Commuters took to social media over the congestion, with a user saying, “Traffic Jam of 15 KM before Jabalpur …still 400 KM to prayagraj. Please read traffic situation before coming to Mahakumbh!”. Another user wrote in a post on X at around 4:30 am on Monday, “Caught in probably the biggest traffic jam (15-20km) in the world at Kumbh…Prayagraj is completely gridlocked.” “Moved ~5 kms in 5 hours, by this time I should have been in Lucknow. Atrocious traffic management, had to cancel my flight ticket and book another at double,” the post read.
Traffic congestion were caused by the Sunday rush, according to Saket Prakash Pandey, the Inspector General of Police in charge of the Rewa zone. He predicted that things will improve in a few days.
According to Pandey, the MP Police have coordinated with the Prayagraj administration and are now permitting vehicles to move. Vehicles were delayed in traffic jams for 48 hours, according to witnesses. “It is taking almost 10-12 hours to cover a 50-km distance,” a man said.
To avoid crowds at the MP-UP borders, police stated they are stopping cars at various locations. According to the Rewa district administration, there is a continuous strain of automobiles on the Rewa-Prayagraj route because the number of pilgrims traveling to Prayagraj is not declining. According to a notice from the Rewa district office, cars were stopped there and elsewhere as the masses grew outside of Chakghat.
Many cars are crowding both sides of the highway leading to Prayagraj, according to an official. Pratibha Pal, the district collector for Rewa, stated that they are working with the Prayagraj government. She said vehicles had been held up because of heavy crowds on the highway. “Arrangements are being made for the safe stay, food, and water for people (stuck in traffic jams),” she added.
VD Sharma, the head of the MP BJP, asked party members to assist pilgrims traveling from their localities to Maha Kumbh. “All the workers are requested to help the devotees going to Maha Kumbh through their areas in every possible way. Make arrangements for their food and accommodation if needed. Take special care that the devotees do not face any inconvenience. Let us play our role in this Maha Yagya,” Sharma tweeted on X.
The ‘Snan’ or holy plunge at the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers, has attracted over 40 crore tourists from all over the country and outside during the Maha Kumbh fair, which began on January 13 and will end on February 26.
Pankaj Kumar Singh, the CPRO North Eastern Railway’s spokesperson, urged passengers on Monday not to accept “rumors” regarding the railway’s preparations for the impending “snan” on February 12. “There are eight railway stations in the Mela Kshetra from where 330 trains were running for different destinations… Jhunsi and Rambagh stations come under the jurisdiction of the northeastern railway and 33 trains were running from these two stations yesterday for Purvanchal… Devotees are requested not to believe in any kind of rumours… All arrangements have been made by the railways,” he said.
