‘Bengaluru back to normal’: Viral post shows stark contrast between Dasara calm and post-holiday chaos

Bengaluru commuters expressed frustration over persistent traffic issues, with some highlighting urban planning failures.

The city’s roads returned to their usual chaos after the long Dasara weekend, and a viral post on X (formerly Twitter) perfectly captured the contrast.

Resident Shivaram shared two photos showing Bengaluru traffic at its extremes.(X/@shivram1150)

Resident Shivaram shared two photos showing Bengaluru traffic at its extremes, one taken during Dasara at 10 am, when roads were unusually empty, and another taken today at 7 am, before peak hours, where congestion had already returned. He captioned it simply, “Bengaluru back to normal.”

Check out his post here:

How did X users react?

The post sparked reactions from commuters, many of whom lamented the perennial traffic woes.

One commented, “From this angle, I’m 100% sure, this cannot be corrected!! Complete failure of urban planning.” Shivaram replied, noting the city’s infrastructure challenges, “Yes, tin factory can never be fixed, two major roads converge and criss-cross into the next two major roads, and there is about a 500-meter gap in between.”

Others joked about Bengaluru’s notorious traffic, comparing it to democracy: “By the people, of the people, for the people,” while some commuters celebrated the rare moments of smooth travel over the festival,“The good thing is, I can easily get 1 to 1.5 hours of sleep on my way to office now.”

The city did experience some relief during the Dasara festival. Streets across key areas like MG Road, Brigade Road, and Koramangala were almost deserted in the mornings, allowing commuters to experience unusually smooth travel, a sharp contrast to the bumper-to-bumper jams seen on regular weekdays. However, issues like missing lane markings, haphazard bus parking, and lack of walking paths persist, reflecting the city’s continuing struggle with urban traffic management.

As the festival ended and offices reopened, Bengaluru quickly reverted to its usual traffic snarls, reminding residents that moments of calm on city roads are more a festive exception than the rule.