India
Migrant Rush to Bihar for Deepavali and Chhath Festival Spurs Long‑Distance Auto‑Rickshaw Journeys
Ahead of Deepavali and the four‑day Chhath festival, migrants are traveling to Bihar in large numbers. With flight fares soaring and train tickets sold out, many are taking buses or riding old auto‑rickshaws over thousands of kilometres. On Saturday, November 7, 2026, four young men from Bengaluru travelled about 2,200 km in an old auto‑rickshaw to reach Areraj town, near the Someshwarnath Dham temple in Motihari, East Champaran district. They said they could not afford air tickets and that train seats were unavailable, so they chose the auto‑rickshaw, one of which is run by a man from Bengaluru. The other three men work casually in the city for survival. The railway department announced special trains for migrants returning to their homes before the festivals, but the returning migrants reported that there was no space on the trains. Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary directed police to be vigilant around the clock for the safe return of migrants. All police leaves were cancelled until November 17, a senior official said. The Chhath festival this year begins on November 13 and ends on November 16. In neighbouring Jharkhand, private bus operators are running extra buses for local people. From Jamshedpur, the number of buses to Bihar increased from 85 to 105 daily, but owners said demand remains unmet because of no space on Bihar‑bound trains. They added that there is strong demand for buses to Patna, Chhapra, Siwan, Ara, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, Nawada and Nalanda, and that the demand is likely to rise as the festival approaches. Uday Sharma, a Jamshedpur bus operator, said many passengers are booking tickets in advance and that fares remain unchanged. For several passengers, buses have become the only option to travel to their destination, as train reservations are exhausted. Rajesh Kumar, a software engineer, said he was lucky to book air tickets three months ago to reach Patna from Delhi, though the fare was almost three times the normal rate. He spent ₹60,000 on tickets for his family of four. Sanjay Kumar, a Patna government employee, said that every year during Diwali and Chhath, flight and train prices rise and seats are sold out, and that the government has only announced more trains on some routes. Published – November 08, 2026 04:50 am IST