📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Pinakpani
Local
Heavy traffic snarls hit Delhi markets ahead of Dhanteras shopping rush
✍️ Amar Ujala · Delhi
🗓 05 Nov 2026, 08:46 PM
👁 11
Thousands of shoppers flocked to Delhi’s market areas on Thursday, causing severe congestion on surrounding roads and main arteries.
On Thursday, the day before the Hindu festival of Dhanteras, a massive crowd of shoppers descended on Delhi’s commercial districts to stock up on festive items. The sudden surge in footfall translated into a sharp rise in vehicle movement, leading to traffic bottlenecks around market perimeters and on key thoroughfares such as Ashok Lane, Paharganj and Karol Bagh.
Road users reported long queues of cars, two‑wheelers and auto‑rickshaws, with some lanes coming to a complete standstill. Police and traffic police deployed additional personnel to manage the flow, but the sheer volume of private vehicles and delivery trucks overwhelmed the usual control measures.
Officials advised commuters to avoid the affected zones, use alternative routes or public transport where possible, and warned that the congestion could persist into the evening as more shoppers arrive for last‑minute purchases.
The traffic slowdown is expected to ease after the peak shopping hours, but authorities remain on alert for similar disruptions on the actual Dhanteras day, when demand for gold, sweets and household goods typically spikes.
Road users reported long queues of cars, two‑wheelers and auto‑rickshaws, with some lanes coming to a complete standstill. Police and traffic police deployed additional personnel to manage the flow, but the sheer volume of private vehicles and delivery trucks overwhelmed the usual control measures.
Officials advised commuters to avoid the affected zones, use alternative routes or public transport where possible, and warned that the congestion could persist into the evening as more shoppers arrive for last‑minute purchases.
The traffic slowdown is expected to ease after the peak shopping hours, but authorities remain on alert for similar disruptions on the actual Dhanteras day, when demand for gold, sweets and household goods typically spikes.