WATCH | Manali traffic congestion continues as tourists arrive to celebrate Christmas, New Year

Tourist destination Manali in Himachal Pradesh witnessed massive traffic congestion on Sunday as people thronged to the hill station causing slow vehicular movement ahead of Christmas and New Year.

A video of a long queue of vehicles witnessed on roads leading to Manali is going viral on social media. The video shared on X (formerly known as Twitter), shows significant traffic congestion on the route with no relief in sight.

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Similarly, a missive massive traffic congestion was also witnessed from Manali to Atal Tunnel. The viral video shared on X shows significant traffic congestion on the route.

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Traffic snarls are very common every year in the region during this time as Manali is a favourite tourist destination and a large number of people visit this place especially during the winter hoping to experience snowfall and spend quality time with friends and family during the festive season.

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Sharing a post on micro-blogging platform X (formerly known as Twitter), a user wrote:

“It is such a terrible day for tourists in India today. Airports are super crowded. Roads everywhere are jammed with traffic of people leaving the cities for holidays… it is worse for the travellers who have a certain idea of what they want from their travels and have spent time and money to be here.”

"Holidays are nowadays spent on roads. Jab tak jam khulega chutti khattam (till the traffic gets clearance, holidays will be over)!!," an X user wrote. Another shared, "It was a horrendous wait of over 6hrs. Atal tunnel to Manali today. The shopkeepers were most unfriendly not allowing customers to use their restrooms but want them to watch only...," another user reacted.

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Another user wrote, “Best family time together inside the car. Hopefully, some real conversations happen while stranded in this traffic jam.”

“This is horrible!!! they must put a stop to this and limit drastically!!” wrote another user.

Ah, yes, the holiday blues – that gnawing emptiness in your soul that can only be soothed by the sweet symphony of honking horns, the rhythmic rumble of engines, and the lyrical shouts of frustrated commuters... What could be more festive than getting stuck in bumper-to-bumper bliss, inhaling the fragrant exhaust fumes of our fellow merrymakers? Merry honking, everyone! #TrafficJam #Manali," another user reacted sarcastically.

As per an ANI report, Shimla police were expecting a huge rush of visitors ahead of the year-end festivities

Speaking to ANI, Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi, Superintendent of Police (SP) of Shimla, said, “The police are expecting over one lakh tourist vehicles to roll into the hill town in the last week of this year.”

"Police brace for myriad challenges as the seasons change in Shimla. The number of vehicles in the city has been increasing on weekends," he added.