Bihar festive travel rush sees workers return home for Diwali and Chhath

Thousands of workers are arriving across Bihar to celebrate Deepavali and the four-day Chhath festival, using expanded regional transport links and personal vehicles to rejoin their families for the annual holidays.

To ensure smooth travel and security during the festive rush, Bihar leader Samrat Choudhary directed police forces across the state to maintain round-the-clock vigilance. All police leave has been suspended until 17 November to guarantee public safety as millions travel to their home districts. Chhath Puja celebrations begin on 13 November and run through 16 November.

Festive travel operations scaled up

Transport operators across neighbouring regions have increased service frequencies to support the travel influx. From industrial centres such as Jamshedpur in Jharkhand, bus operations heading into Bihar have been expanded significantly to accommodate the seasonal volume.

Operators noted that demand remains particularly strong for major urban and rural destinations, including Patna, Chhapra, Siwan, Ara, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, Nawada and Nalanda. Private bus owners in Jamshedpur confirmed that ticket prices have been kept steady despite the surge in bookings.

Long journeys to celebrate Chhath

Indian Railways has deployed special train operations across high-density routes to facilitate the seasonal transit. The demand has also prompted travellers to organize their own arrangements to ensure they reach their native villages in time.

In one notable journey, four young workers travelled 2,200 kilometres from Bengaluru to Areraj in East Champaran district, riding an auto-rickshaw owned by one of the men. Completing the cross-country trip in three days, the group arrived near Someshwarnath Dham temple on Saturday, driven by their desire to celebrate Deepavali and Chhath with their families.