India, Oct. 3 -- The three-day extended Gandhi Jayanti weekend led to a massive influx of tourists and pilgrims travelling to Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, resulting in major traffic jams on several key routes, Manali, Mussoorie and Shimla, and pilgrimage sites like Badrinath Dham and Kainchi Dham.

The rush began ahead of the long weekend, with a government holiday on October 2, followed by Saturday and Sunday, giving travellers three consecutive days off.

Several areas of New Delhi also witnessed traffic congestion on Thursday, ahead of the long weekend. Mandi House, Kashmere Gate, Akshardham and Pragati Maidan were reportedly among the worst-affected areas, with a noticeable increase in the number of commuters and travellers.

Mus...