‘Reached 14 km in 20 mins’: Bengaluru techie amazed by empty roads as Diwali clears traffic
A Bengaluru techie’s video showing empty city roads during Diwali went viral.
As the festive spirit of Diwali fills the air, a Bengaluru-based techie has captured a rare sight — traffic-free roads in the city known for its gridlocks. Sharing a short clip on Instagram, the user behind the account Genextechie filmed his commute in an auto rickshaw, showing nearly empty streets. The text overlay on the video read, “When entire Bengaluru is out of Bengaluru due to Diwali, you reached 14 km in 20 mins.”

Check out the video here:
The clip quickly gained attention among city residents, many of whom were amused and surprised to see the usually congested roads looking peaceful. The video, which has now received over 53k views, reflects how Diwali often turns Bengaluru into a quieter version of itself, as many professionals travel to their hometowns for the festival.
Mixed reactions online
Social media users filled the comments section with humour and disbelief. One user remarked, “This is what nama Bengaluru is,” while another disagreed, writing, “Not really, we are stuck in traffic.” Some could relate to the experience, with a comment reading, “I think I’m in another Bengaluru, still stuck in traffic.” Another added light-heartedly, “Even I was relieved in metro.”
The comments continued to pour in with a mix of sarcasm and wishful thinking. One user wrote, “This is not true but I really want this Bengaluru,” while another joked, “Because other states left, so let them leave permanently, it would be peaceful.” A final comment summed up the general sentiment, saying, “This is so true.”
HT.com has reached out to Genextechie for further comments on the viral clip. The story will be updated once a response is received.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)