LUCKNOW, Oct. 19 -- Festive shopping on Dhanteras brought Lucknow to a crawl on Saturday evening, as thousands thronged markets for gold, silver, utensils, and decorative items. Despite the deployment of around 1,300 police personnel, congestion choked major routes, exposing gaps in the city's traffic management. From Aminabad, Chowk, Hazratganj, and Alambagh to Polytechnic-Chinhat-Maityari, Bhootnath, Mahanagar, Gomti Nagar, and Sarojininagar, vehicles crawled for hours. Long queues of cars, bikes, and e-rickshaws clogged intersections, while roadside vendors and makeshift carts further narrowed roads. Commuters reported being stuck for over an hour on short stretches, with diversions adding to confusion. "I left the office early to shop in Aminabad but got trapped near Hussainganj for almost 45 minutes," said Ravi Sinha, a private employee. Shoppers in several areas said the situation discouraged families from stepping out. "Finding parking itself took an hour in Hazratganj. We returned home without shopping," Meenakshi Verma of Mahanagar said. At Aminabad, market footfall was high but movement inside remained slow. In Chowk and Qaiserbagh, vendors faced similar difficulties. "People park anywhere, blocking entry points. It affects evening business," Rizwan Ahmad, said, who runs a decorative items shop. Vinod Maheshwari, Chairman of Lucknow Mahanagar Sarafa Association, added, "The festive mood is dampened when customers spend more time in jams than in shops." DCP (traffic) Kamlesh Dixit said 1,300 personnel, including homeguards, were deployed. "The main cause of traffic is the high number of buyers on the streets, many returning from their hometowns," he added. Lucknow Traffic Police had announced diversions and restrictions from October 18 to 23 to manage Dhanteras, Diwali, and Bhai Dooj crowds. Key areas, including Hazratganj, Alambagh, Nishatganj, Polytechnic, Bhootnath, and Aminabad, were impacted....