Omkareshwar Darshan Chaos: New Year Crowds Cause 5-Hour Queues, Traffic Jams

• Devotees face multi-kilometer traffic jams from Indore to Omkareshwar and 4-5 hour queues for darshan at Omkareshwar Temple during year-end.
• Approximately one lakh devotees visit daily, with two lakh expected for the coming week, leading to fully booked accommodations.
• Many devotees are returning without darshan due to exhaustion from long waits.
• Administration suspended Narmada River boat operations (Dec 30-Jan 1) and restricted heavy vehicle movement on Khandwa-Indore road until Jan 5.
• Heavy vehicles are diverted via Deshgaon, Khargone, and Dhamnod to manage congestion, but challenges persist for pilgrims.

Why It Matters: New Year rush makes Omkareshwar darshan challenging with long queues and traffic despite admin efforts.