‘Felt like the early 2010s’: Bengaluru experiences rare traffic-free roads on Varamahalakshmi festival

Bengaluru experienced a rare peaceful commute, with users sharing positive traffic experiences on social media.

Bengaluru, often synonymous with traffic snarls and packed roads, witnessed an unusually peaceful day on Thursday, thanks to the ongoing festival.

A viral Reddit post summed up the collective sigh of relief from commuters. Representational Image(X)

A viral Reddit post summed up the collective sigh of relief from commuters, “Today’s traffic and weather was reminiscent of early 2010s Bengaluru. What took me 2 hours to travel yesterday, took me 35 minutes today. Loved how namma ooru felt today.”

Reddit post on Bengaluru traffic.

The post quickly gained traction on the platform, with several Bengalureans chiming in with their own experiences of a smoother-than-usual commute. For once, traffic wasn’t the talk of frustration, it was nostalgia and gratitude.

Reactions online:

“Yeah... today’s office ride was bliss!!” wrote one user. Another observed, “I even noticed and was surprised to see no two-wheeler parking on the busy roadsides today and also much less traffic than usual.”

The city, known for its clogged roads especially during peak hours, appeared transformed. One commenter noted, “It’s not the number of people causing traffic, it’s the number of vehicles. You don’t need killing to solve it, just good public transport and priority for people outside cars.”

Others reminisced about a simpler time, “I miss the early 2000s when we could go to Nandi Hills with family.” Even the city’s metro, which is typically packed during rush hours, seemed more bearable. “Metro is also not as crowded!” a user noted.

Though brief, the day offered a glimpse of what Bengaluru could feel like with efficient public transport, fewer vehicles on the road, and thoughtful urban planning.

Google Trends

Trending now.(Goolge Trends)

According to Google Trends, the search term "Varamahalakshmi pooja timings 2025" saw a significant spike and peaked on Friday, coinciding with the festival day. The highest number of searches came from Karnataka, followed by Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh.

Among the related trending queries were "Varamahalakshmi pooja wishes," "Varamahalakshmi wishes 2025," "Brendan Taylor," "Bayern vs Tottenham," and "Intel CEO."