Manimahesh Yatra: As 1 lakh devotees reach Bharmour, over 10-km-long jams lead to chaos on roads

The sacred Manimahesh Yatra has drawn an overwhelming number of devotees to Bharmour in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh, resulting in massive traffic jams and chaos on the roads leading to the pilgrimage site.

Over the last 24 hours alone, over one lakh devotees have thronged to the small town, causing significant disruptions as they embark on the holy journey to the Manimahesh Lake.

The unprecedented rush began as pilgrims from across the country gathered for the Chota Shahi Snan, a sacred ritual that marks the beginning of the yatra. The ritual, which started at 3.40 am, saw devotees crowding the narrow roads of Bharmour as they made their way to the high-altitude lake.

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The influx of vehicles quickly overwhelmed the region’s limited infrastructure, leading to traffic snarls stretching as far as 10 km on the highway before Bharmour.

By Sunday (August 25, 2024) evening, hundreds of vehicles were stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic, with many devotees stranded in their cars until midnight. The situation did not improve much on Monday, with a large number of vehicles still caught in the jam, causing further delays for those trying to reach Manimahesh.

Local authorities have been struggling to manage the situation as the sheer volume of pilgrims continues to surge. A senior Bharmour administration official said the number of devotees is unprecedented and the exact figure of those participating in the Chota Shahi Snan will be confirmed soon. However, it is already clear that the current crowd has far exceeded the turnout in previous years.

To mitigate the chaos, the administration has deployed additional personnel, including volunteers from the Mountaineering Institute and NDRF-SDRF teams, to assist with traffic management and ensure the safety of pilgrims. Despite these efforts, the sheer volume of vehicles and pedestrians has made it challenging to restore normal traffic flow.

The government had introduced a heli-taxi service from Bharmour to Manimahesh to ease the burden on the roads, but bad weather has caused flight delays, forcing many devotees to rely on road transportation.