Overview
- Local and national reports link a sharp rise in visitors to Kainchi Dham to the runaway popularity of Hanuman Ansh, with Nainital Police saying daily footfall has climbed above 6,000 and weekend peaks reached roughly 15,000–20,000.
- The surge produced severe gridlock on Haldwani–Kainchi and routes toward Nainital and Almora, turning typical two- to three-hour journeys into 10–12 hour delays and trapping ambulances and vulnerable passengers in jams.
- Police and local administrators introduced emergency measures including one-way traffic, banned non-local two-wheelers on key approaches, diverted hill-bound traffic via Kathgodam–Bhimtal, and set up remote parking with shuttle services and volunteer crowd management.
- Filmmaker Dr Vishal Chaturvedi posted an Instagram plea urging visitors to check crowd conditions before travelling and to consider alternative Neem Karoli sites such as Neem Karoli village or Vrindavan to avoid unsafe overcrowding.
- Hanuman Ansh remains a commercial success—declared tax-free in Uttarakhand and reporting several hundred crore in box office receipts—and distributors Hombale Films have acquired South-language rights with a Telugu release scheduled for October 9.