The romantic fervor of Karwa Chauth met the harsh reality of urban infrastructure tonight, as the “great race home” turned the streets of Haryana’s major cities into massive parking lots.
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The “Husband Rush”: Traffic experts noted a unique surge starting earlier than the usual 7:00 PM peak. Fearing they might miss the moonrise (scheduled between 8:05 PM and 8:20 PM across different districts), thousands of employees left their offices simultaneously, creating a “tidal wave” of vehicles on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway (NH-48) and Rohtak-Delhi bypass.
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Market Choke-Points: * Gurugram: Massive jams were reported near Sadar Bazaar and Sector 14, where last-minute shoppers for flowers and sweets blocked internal lanes.
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Rohtak: The Quilla Road and Model Town areas saw total gridlock due to temporary stalls set up on the roadside for Karwa Chauth essentials.
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Ambala: The approach roads to the Cloth Market and Sadar Bazaar were paralyzed, with police reporting a 3-km tailback on the highway.
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Impact of “Sargi” Stalls: Temporary henna (Mehendi) tents, which occupied motorable parts of the road throughout the day, became significant bottlenecks in the evening. In Faridabad, residents of NIT reported that a distance usually covered in 10 minutes took over an hour.
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Police Efforts: In Panchkula and Chandigarh, traffic police were seen using loudspeakers to discourage double-parking. “We deployed 200 additional home guards today, but the sheer volume of cars heading toward residential sectors overwhelmed the signals,” said a traffic inspector in Rohtak.
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The “Moon” Relief: Traffic began to thin out only after 8:30 PM, as the moon became visible across the state—first in Ambala (8:08 PM) and later in Rohtak and Faridabad (8:13 PM)—allowing families to conclude their rituals and move indoors.
Commuter Experience: “I left my office in Cyber City at 5:30 PM, thinking I’d be home by 6:15 PM. I only reached my doorstep in Sector 56 at 7:50 PM. The gridlock was everywhere,” shared Ankit, a corporate professional. Similar stories of “festive frustration” dominated local social media feeds throughout the evening.
