Pongal exodus: 14 lakh leave Chennai, more on the move
Chennai is emptying out as nearly 14 lakh people have already left the city since January 9 to celebrate Pongal with family.
The festival hits its peak on January 14, but travel chaos is just getting started—another 13 lakh are expected to head out in the next few days, thanks to a string of holidays stretching till January 17.
Massive travel rush, extra busses and trains rolled out
To keep up with this huge migration, Tamil Nadu has put over 14,000 government busses and about 370 trains on the roads and rails.
On just one weekend, more than 5,500 busses carried almost a quarter-million people from major city bus stations.
Trains are running non-stop too—close to 180 departures daily from Chennai's main terminals.
Roads packed, fares up—here's what travelers face
All this movement means serious traffic jams on key highways like GST Road.
If you're driving out of town, officials suggest taking less crowded routes through Tirupporur or Chengalpattu instead of sticking to the usual jammed roads.
And if you're booking an omni bus? Fares have jumped by about a quarter—multi-axle Volvo tickets now cost up to ₹4,000 thanks to sky-high demand.