Congestion on the Delhi-Haridwar Expressway in Haridwar on Sunday (August 9, 2026), due to the ongoing Kanwar Yatra.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Kanwar Yatra, or the annual pilgrimage of people from the Ganges River to their local temples, is underway and will conclude on Tuesday (August 11, 2026).
The festive pilgrimage began on July 30 and will conclude on August 11, 2026 on the day of Shivratri.
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Owing to the heavy pedestrian and pilgrimage traffic, specific advisories have been issued by authorities to ease commute of citizens, especially in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Haryana.
Here’s your guide to what’s open and what’s closed.
| Region/State | Affected areas and restrictions | Duration of restrictions | Recommended Alternate Routes |
| Delhi | • Kalindi Kunj junction, Okhla Barrage road, Noida–Kalindi Kunj road, and Okhla Bird Sanctuary • GT Road (Apsara Border to Yamuna Bridge) closed for general traffic | August 11–12, 2026 | • Avoid Kalindi Kunj, GT Road, and Wazirabad Road. • Use designated alternate corridors like NH-9 and NH-44. |
| Gurugram (Haryana) | • Heavy vehicle movement entering Delhi via Haridwar return paths • Travel corridors toward Rajasthan, Jhajjar, Rewari, Pataudi, Nuh, and Faridabad | August 9 – 11, 2026 | • Use Dwarka Expressway. • Use KMP Expressway via Panchgaon Chowk. |
| Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) | • Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME) • Heavy pilgrim traffic on NH-58 / Delhi-Meerut route | August 9 – 12, 2026 | •Use NH-09 as primary alternative route • Siddharth Vihar to Meerut Tiraha: Take NH-09, Vijayanagar Cut, Overbridge, and Chaudhary Mod. |
Delhi
The Delhi Traffic Police, in a post on X on July 10, 2026, said that “traffic congestion is likely on Kalindi Kunj junction, Okhla Barrage road, Noida, Kalindi Kunj-Noida road and the connecting roads towards Okhla Bird Sanctuary.” It especially warned commuters not to use the routes leading through Kalindi Kunj junction, to plan commutes in advance and to allow sufficient additional travel time.
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Gurugram, Haryana
Gurugram traffic police, on August 8, detailed alternate routes for heavy vehicles to take to enter the national capital of Delhi owing to the ‘Kanwar Yatra’ pilgrimage and the return of the ‘kanwariyas’ from Haridwar.
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It asked commuters to ‘use Dwarka and KMP expressway via Panchgaon Chowk’ as travel corridors to Rajasthan, Jhajjar, Rewari, Pataudi, Nuh, and Faridabad may also be affected.
This advisory is in effect till August 11, 2026 and the traffic police also attached maps for easy referencing for citizens.
Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh
Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh is also under a traffic advisory by the traffic police. An X post, with a video by Shri Varun Kumar Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), said that “For the safe movement of Kanwar devotees, the Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME) will be restricted for general traffic on August 10 and 11, 2026.” It added that: In view of the large number of Kanwar pilgrims on NH-58/Delhi-Meerut route, use Rapid Metro (RRTS) and public transport instead of private vehicles, and use NH-09 as much as possible.
Traffic curbs for Kanwar Yatra in U.P.’s Muzaffarnagar till August 12
Vehicles coming from Siddharth Vihar to Meerut Tiraha should use NH-09, Vijayanagar Cut, Overbridge, and Chaudhary Mod.”
It advised locals to use NH-09 instead for commuting.
What is Kanwar Yatra?
Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage where devotees of Lord Shiva collect holy water from the Ganges River from places like Haridawar, Gangotri, Gaumukh, or Sultanganj and take it to their local temples, often walking barefoot for long distances.
It occurs during July-August, depending on the Hindu calendar month of ‘Shravan.’
Published – August 10, 2026 08:22 am IST
