More than 576,000 people have left Kathmandu Valley since Ghatasthapana, the first day of Dashain, to celebrate Nepal’s biggest festival with their families, traffic police said on Tuesday.

A total of 576,578 people had travelled out of the Valley in 79,676 vehicles as of Tuesday, according to the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office.

The departures included 348,823 men and 227,755 women, said Senior Superintendent of Police Suresh Prasad Kafle, chief of the Valley Traffic Police.

Many people who live in the Valley for work, education and business return to their hometowns for Dashain, bringing a seasonal surge in traffic at major exit points.

Police have reported heavier traffic at Nagdhunga, Pharping, Thankot, Bhimdunga, Tinpiple and Sankhu. Traffic personnel have been deployed around the clock to manage the rush and reduce road accidents, Kafle said.

He urged passengers to check that vehicles are roadworthy and drivers are fit to drive. He also cautioned drivers against spending excessive hours behind the wheel, particularly on long-distance journeys.

Dashain is marked by family reunions and widespread travel as people return to their ancestral homes and hometowns for the annual celebrations.