Ahmedabad: The Diwali break turned popular tourist and pilgrimage destinations across Gujarat and Rajasthan into zones of bumper-to-bumper traffic and overflowing hotels. From Somnath and Dwarka to Udaipur, Mount Abu, Statue of Unity, Gir and Saputara, visitors struggled to find rooms, parking spaces and fuel. Hotel tariffs rose sharply as last-minute bookings surged. In several places, tourists spent the night in vehicles, on terraces or by the roadside.The Khedbrahma-Ambaji-Abu Road stretch witnessed heavy traffic as pilgrims and holidaymakers converged on the Mount Abu ghat road. The Ahmedabad-Himmatnagar-Shamlaji highway was also congested, with holidaymakers travelling to Udaipur and pilgrims heading to Nathdwara.“Last-minute bookings pushed hotel tariffs up sharply in Rajasthan. Rooms that usually cost Rs 3,000 a night were being sold for nearly Rs 7,000,” said travel expert Ankit Bajaj from Ahmedabad.Hotels in Udaipur were unable to accommodate walk-in guests. “We had to turn away several people because all rooms were booked. During Diwali, many tourists from Gujarat visit Udaipur and nearby pilgrimage centres such as Nathdwara and Kankroli,” said Surendra Sharma, general manager of a Udaipur hotel.Saputara and the Dang region witnessed long queues and parking shortages. Ektanagar also saw a surge in visitors amid Bharat Parv 2026 and Ekta Prakash Parv, adding pressure on approach roads, parking lots and shuttle services.
Somnath recorded one of the biggest increases in footfall. The temple town normally receives around 30,000 visitors a day, but saw at least 1 lakh visitors each on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The rush continued on Friday.
Somnath recorded one of the biggest increases in footfall. The temple town normally receives around 30,000 visitors a day, but saw at least 1 lakh visitors each on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The rush continued on Friday.Accommodation was difficult to find, with Somnath Trust facilities also overbooked. Private hotels reportedly charged up to three times their usual rates.Rakesh Sharma, who travelled from Delhi, said a room that cost him Rs 1,500 during a visit last Aug was quoted at Rs 7,000 on Wednesday. “The room was meant for three people,” he said.The shortage kept local businesses open through the night. Kana Bharwad, who runs a tea stall in Somnath, said he worked past midnight during this period.“Usually, I close by 10 pm. Over the past two days, I worked through the night. People who could not find rooms stayed on the roads and kept themselves awake with tea and snacks,” he said.Dwarka also struggled with the influx. Hotels and guest houses were full, while traffic backed up for nearly 2 km near the town entrance. Police blocked U-turns to regulate vehicle movement, but congestion persisted.Some residents and dharamshalas opened their terraces to visitors. Dwarka resident Karshan Patel rented his terrace to five tourists a day at Rs 500 per person, providing mattresses, pillows and drinking water. Others spent the night in their vehicles.Fuel shortages added to the problem. CNG queues on roads leading to Dwarka stretched up to 1 km, with motorists waiting more than 90 minutes to refuel. Only a few stations were operating near the town.Gir saw heavy tourist movement, putting pressure on safari bookings and access roads. Harin Shah, who travelled from Ahmedabad with a group of 30, could not secure a jungle safari. The group eventually visited Devaliya Interpretation Zone after a friend arranged for entry.Traffic was slow even beyond the safari gates. Rishav Jain, an academician who visited Gir, said the main three-hour safari was conducted smoothly, “but the drive from Sinh Sadan to Devaliya took more than 45 minutes instead of the usual 20”.He added, “We got delayed due to traffic. Our slot was from 10 am to 11 am. Although we arrived 45 minutes late because of traffic, the guide and driver ensured that we received the full tour,” he said.
