Rishikesh, Oct. 3 -- With the long weekend underway and the Char Dham Yatra returning to normal, the pilgrimage town of Rishikesh witnessed a heavy influx of tourists and pilgrims, resulting in prolonged traffic jams across several key routes on Saturday.

The increased footfall followed the October 2 government holiday on Friday, with Saturday and Sunday still ahead, as tourists made the most of the extended break by heading to hill stations.

The volume of vehicles on the city roads increased steadily throughout the day, with traffic movement severely affected from Rishikesh to Natraj, Shyampur, Muni Ki Reti and Tapovan. A large number of tourists arriving in private vehicles added to the pressure on the roads, leading to long queues an...