Kanwar Yatra 2026 Traffic Advisory: The annual Kanwar Yatra 2026 began on Thursday, bringing widespread traffic restrictions and heightened security across North India. Authorities in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh
have issued travel advisories as Haridwar is expected to witness the arrival of over four crore devotees during the pilgrimage.
During the Kanwar Yatra, devotees of Lord Shiva travel to Haridwar and nearby pilgrimage sites to collect holy Ganga water. They then carry the water back to Shiva temples in their hometowns and villages to perform jalabhishek, a ritual offering of water to Lord Shiva.
Delhi Traffic Advisory For Kanwar Yatra 2026
Delhi Police has stepped up security arrangements across the national capital and warned commuters of traffic congestion in several areas due to the movement of Kanwariyas and the establishment of Kanwar camps.
According to the traffic advisory, vehicle movement is likely to remain affected on Najafgarh Firni Road, Rohtak Road, Pankha Road, Dev Prakash Shastri Marg, Nangloi-Najafgarh Road and sections of the Outer Ring Road. Commuters have been advised to plan their journeys in advance and use alternate routes wherever possible.
Delhi-Haridwar Highway Restrictions
Muzaffarnagar Senior Superintendent of Police Sanjay Kumar said heavy vehicles will not be allowed on key routes from July 30. From August 4, all traffic will be prohibited on the Delhi-Haridwar National Highway and the Ganga Canal Road passing through the district.
Vehicles travelling from Haridwar and Saharanpur towards Delhi will be diverted through Deoband, Pachenda, Mirapur and Mawana before entering the national capital. Traffic moving from Delhi towards Haridwar and Saharanpur will follow the same diversion route.
People travelling from Delhi to Haridwar and Dehradun have been advised to use the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor, where Kanwariyas will be discouraged from travelling.
Authorities have said ambulances and other emergency vehicles will continue to use restricted routes under police escort to ensure emergency services remain uninterrupted during the Kanwar Yatra.
Uttar Pradesh Enforces Traffic Diversions
To ensure the smooth movement of pilgrims, authorities have introduced phased traffic restrictions across western Uttar Pradesh. Medical camps, CCTV surveillance, emergency response teams and other facilities have been deployed along the Kanwar route.
Officials have also removed liquor shops and non-vegetarian eateries located on the designated pilgrimage route.
The diversions are expected to affect travel between Delhi, Haridwar, Dehradun and Saharanpur. Travellers may experience longer travel times, while bus and taxi fares could increase because of the revised traffic arrangements.
Ghaziabad, Bareilly And Meerut Security Arrangements
In Ghaziabad, a phased diversion plan will remain in force from July 29 to August 12. Heavy goods vehicles entering the city from Delhi have been redirected through the Eastern Peripheral Expressway, Ganga Expressway and Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, according to officials quoted by ANI.
Bareilly has deployed more than 3,900 police personnel to manage security during the yatra. The district has been divided into three super zones, nine zones, 28 sectors and 104 sub-sectors to improve crowd management and coordination.
In the Meerut zone, around 25,000 police personnel have been deployed. Authorities have also installed nearly 7,000 AI-enabled CCTV cameras, set up temporary police posts, erected barricades and activated integrated command centres to monitor the pilgrimage.
