The Kanwar Yatra 2026 is set to run from July 30 to August 11 (Sawan Shivratri/Chaturdashi), with the heaviest rush expected in the final days leading up to Shivratri. To manage the movement of an estimated crore-plus devotees walking to Haridwar, Gaumukh, Gangotri and Neelkanth Mahadev to fetch holy Ganga water, police forces across Delhi-NCR and Uttarakhand have notified vehicle bans, one-way diversions and no-entry zones, some of which are already in effect, and others that kick in over the coming days. breakdown.
Kanwar Yatra 2026: Key Dates
| Restriction | Effective Dates |
|---|---|
| Ghaziabad, heavy vehicles (trucks, DCMs, tractor-trolleys) barred from city | 8 am, July 29 – August 12 |
| Ghaziabad, light vehicles, cars, pickups, mini-trucks, tempos restricted | August 5 – August 12 |
| Ghaziabad, buses barred via Seemapuri Border/Tulsi Niketan | From August 5 |
| Meerut, heavy vehicles barred on Delhi-Dehradun Highway, Delhi-Meerut Expressway (Ghaziabad-Meerut stretch) and Chaudhary Charan Singh Kanwar Marg | From night of July 29 |
| Delhi-Meerut Expressway (UP stretch), closed to all regular traffic | August 7 – August 12 |
| Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, closed to pilgrims (foot and Dak Kanwar) | Through the Yatra period |
| Overall Yatra period | July 30 – August 11 |
(Dates have been notified by respective district police and may see minor last-minute revisions, commuters are advised to check local advisories before travelling.)
Ghaziabad: The Worst-Hit Stretch
Ghaziabad, which sits directly on the Kanwariyas' path to Haridwar, has issued one of its most extensive advisories of the year.
- Heavy vehicles , trucks, DCMs and tractor-trolleys, are barred from entering the city from 8 am on July 29 all the way to August 12.
- Vehicles coming in from Delhi, Baghpat, Hapur and Bulandshahr will need to take the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE), NH-9 and the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway instead of the usual city routes.
- Heavy vehicles are also completely barred from the Ganga Canal Track Kanwar Marg, Pipeline Marg, NH-34 (old NH-58) and the Delhi-Meerut Expressway .
- Between August 5 and August 12 , the ban widens to include cars, pickups, mini-trucks, tempos and other light commercial vehicles.
- From August 5 , roadways, private, city and electric buses will not be allowed to enter Ghaziabad through Seemapuri Border and Tulsi Niketan . Buses coming from Bulandshahr will terminate at Lal Kuan , while Anand Vihar and Kaushambi services will be rerouted.
- Around the Dudheshwarnath Temple , movement of two-wheelers and light vehicles will be restricted at Chaudhary Mod, Railway Road Cut, Bajariya, Hapur Tiraha and Gaushala Gate .
- Green corridors are being maintained throughout for ambulances and fire tenders, which will be exempt from all restrictions.
Commuters heading toward Meerut, Haridwar, Amroha, Moradabad or Lucknow from Ghaziabad should factor in the EPE/NH-9 detour and build in extra travel time.
Delhi Kanwar Yatra: Multiple Arterial Roads Affected
Delhi Traffic Police has flagged several key roads that will see heavy Kanwariya footfall and periodic vehicle restrictions, including:
- Wazirabad Road
- GT Road
- Loni Road
- NH-24
- Road Number 56
- Kalindi Kunj Road
- Mathura Road
- Ring Road
- ISBT Kashmiri Gate stretch
- Rani Jhansi Road
- Ridge Road
- Dhaula Kuan
A revised diversion plan is also in place along the corridor connecting ISBT to Ghazipur border and Ring Road , an area that typically sees pilgrims entering the Capital before moving toward Haryana and Rajasthan via Delhi's borders. Motorists are being advised to avoid these stretches during peak pilgrim movement hours, typically late evening to early morning, and to expect single-lane movement in several sections, since one carriageway is usually reserved exclusively for Kanwariyas.
Kanwar Yatra 2026: Meerut and the Delhi-Meerut Expressway
Meerut sits at the heart of the traditional Kanwar route (NH-34), and this year's restrictions are among the strictest in years.
- From the night of July 29 , heavy vehicles have been barred from the Delhi-Dehradun National Highway , the Delhi-Meerut Expressway (Ghaziabad-to-Meerut direction) and the Chaudhary Charan Singh Kanwar Marg .
- The Uttar Pradesh stretch of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME) will be shut to all regular traffic from August 7 to August 12 (around Shivratri), with a dedicated lane reserved solely for pilgrims.
- NH-34 (Delhi → Meerut → Muzaffarnagar → Roorkee → Haridwar) remains the primary Kanwar Marg and the route most likely to see full carriageway closures as foot pilgrims dominate the highway in the final week before Shivratri.
- Motorists travelling toward Meerut, Muzaffarnagar or Haridwar are being advised to use the Eastern Peripheral Expressway, Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, NH-9 , or local diversion roads notified by Ghaziabad and Meerut traffic police.
Anyone whose regular commute runs through Meerut or Muzaffarnagar on NH-34 should assume diversions or closures for roughly two weeks around the Yatra's conclusion.
Delhi-Dehradun Expressway: Closed to Pilgrims Entirely
In a significant call, authorities have decided to keep Kanwariyas, both those walking and those travelling in Dak Kanwar convoys, off the newly built Delhi-Dehradun Expressway altogether , in a joint decision by the Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand administrations. The reasoning: the expressway's high design speed makes it unsafe to mix with pedestrian pilgrim traffic and slow-moving Dak Kanwar vehicles.
- Foot pilgrims returning from Haridwar toward Delhi/UP have been directed to use the Upper Ganga Canal Route instead.
- Dak Kanwar vehicles and heavy transport will use the traditional Delhi-Haridwar National Highway (NH-34) and the Haridwar-Bijnor route .
- Vehicles heading to Rishikesh and Neelkanth Mahadev will be directed to park at the IDPL parking area , from where devotees can proceed on foot via Garud Chatti to reach the temple.
This means regular commuters and tourists using the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway for a routine trip to Dehradun or Rishikesh should still be able to use it, but should expect heavy congestion at entry/exit points near Haridwar and Roorkee , where pilgrim and vehicular traffic will intersect.
Other Kanwar Yatra Rules Devotees and Commuters Should Know
- Valid photo ID mandatory: Every devotee crossing into Uttarakhand is required to carry a government-issued ID such as an Aadhaar card.
- Ban on sharp objects: Carrying sharp weapons, oversized tridents or similar objects along the Yatra route is prohibited.
- One-way and single-lane rules: In several stretches across Ghaziabad and Meerut, one carriageway will be reserved exclusively for Kanwariyas while the other carries mixed traffic, motorists should watch for on-ground signage and police direction rather than relying on regular routes.
- Auto-rickshaw and bus suspensions: Auto-rickshaw services on the Seemapuri Border-Lal Kuan stretch are suspended for the duration of the restrictions.
- Emergency vehicles exempted: Ambulances, fire tenders and police vehicles retain right of way through dedicated green corridors.
- Similar restrictions, including no-entry orders for heavy vehicles barring essential supplies like milk, fuel and emergency goods, have also been notified in other districts along the pilgrim route, including Mirzapur, through the end of August.
What Commuters Should Do
- Avoid peak pilgrim hours (typically late night to early morning) on NH-34, GT Road, and the Delhi-Meerut/Delhi-Dehradun corridors wherever possible.
- Use the Eastern Peripheral Expressway and NH-9 as the default bypass for Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut-bound heavy and light vehicle traffic during the restricted windows.
- Keep extra buffer time for journeys toward Haridwar, Rishikesh, Dehradun, Muzaffarnagar and Roorkee through mid-August.
- Follow real-time updates from Delhi Traffic Police, Ghaziabad Police and Meerut Police social media handles, since diversion plans are frequently fine-tuned closer to Shivratri based on pilgrim volumes.
With the Yatra's peak days still ahead, further tweaks to these advisories are likely. Commuters are strongly advised to check the latest local police bulletins before setting out, particularly for travel through Ghaziabad, Meerut and the Delhi-Dehradun corridor between now and August 12.
