The Gandhi Jayanti long weekend brought a massive tourist rush to popular hill stations, leaving thousands of visitors stuck in traffic.Shimla, Manali, Mussoorie, Nainital, Rishikesh and other tourist destinations witnessed heavy congestion as holidaymakers headed to the hills. Photos and videos of long traffic jams, crowded tourist spots and packed roads have gone viral on social media.#WATCH | Manali, Himachal Pradesh: A huge crowd of tourists has flocked to Manali due to the long weekend. Traffic congestion is also being witnessed in the area. (02.10) https://t.co/nZfINsOwKK— ANI (@ANI) October 2, 2026One widely shared Instagram video showed thousands of vehicles stuck in traffic near the Atal Tunnel in the Manali region. A long line of cars could be seen stretching along the mountain roads.According to the post, the video was recorded on Saturday, October 3.Nainital tourists sleep in cars amid traffic jamThe situation was similarly chaotic in Nainital, where a viral video showed travellers apparently sleeping inside their cars and on the roadside after being caught in heavy traffic.📍 Shimla — The traffic was still barely moving on the Kufri side near Mashobra.Cars stuck, people out of their vehicles, and a narrow hill road packed with traffic.Is this really becoming the new normal for Shimla? What needs to change? https://t.co/tAq4o6V6MU— The Modern Himachal (@themodernhp) October 3, 2026Triund Hill, one of Himachal Pradesh’s popular trekking destinations in Kangra district, also witnessed an unusual rush. A video showed a large number of tourists standing in a long queue, with the crowd reportedly making it difficult for visitors to proceed with their trek.In Mussoorie, videos showed the famous Mall Road packed with tourists.The rush was not limited to hill stations. Scenes from Ranthambore National Park also showed several safari jeeps caught in traffic, adding to concerns over the impact of holiday crowds on popular tourist destinations.‘Mountains are not calling’: Internet reacts to viral traffic videosThe visuals prompted a flood of reactions on social media, with many users questioning the idea of escaping to the mountains only to find themselves stuck in traffic.“Sab aa gaye Delhi se? Koi reh toh nahi gaya (Have all reached from Delhi? Nobody is left, right?)” one user wrote.“Please go out of the jungle and let animals live peacefully,” another commented.“Sab jagah hi same hai (all the places are the same),” a user said.“Can’t believe this. Last time I went to Triund, I was the only one on the trail… along with a dog. Heartbreaking,” another person shared.“Mountains are not calling,” one comment read.Another user wrote that tourists had turned the “beautiful mountains into something that looks like a crowded Sadar Bazaar street”.The viral scenes have once again raised questions about crowd management, traffic planning and infrastructure in popular hill destinations, particularly during long weekends and holiday periods.For many tourists, the much-awaited mountain escape appeared to offer little escape from the traffic jams of the plains.