Navratri is observed almost all over India. Bengalis observe this festival as Durga Puja for the last 4 days of Navratri, i.e., Shashti to Dashami.

Since partition, a huge influx of Bengalis in New Delhi led to the establishment of Chittaranjan Park (C R Park). Over time, thousands of more Bengalis have migrated for professional reasons and have made Delhi- Gurgaon- Noida their home. Along with them, they have got their autumnal ritual – Durga Puja to NCR. Consequently more than a thousand Durga Pujas are held here.

This year, the festival is from 30th September to 3rd October and bamboo structures for marquees are already visible in various parks and community centres. In a few weeks from now, the grand pandals would be populated with the idols of Goddess Durga, her children Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh and thousands of devotees who cut across all linguistic divides.

Shopping as well as exchanging clothes as gifts are an integral part of Durga Puja. Consequently, during this run up period, various exhibitions are organised. The most popular ones are the annual exhibition at Deshbandhu Bhawan, C R Park and the display at Dilli Haat that is organised by Government of West Bengal.

Durga Puja Shopping Spree at C R Park

Pre Durga Puja – West Bengal Festival at Delhi Haat, INA

Apart from stalls selling clothes and accessories, on can find authentic Bengali food at these exhibitions.

Authentic Bengali cuisine during Durga Puja – Patti Shapta, Jhal Muri, Phuchka, Rangaloor Puli, Payesh etc

C R Park has the highest concentration of Durga Pujas, and during the festival days, the area transforms into a carnival zone. Every park has a Puja to boast. Along with the elaborate shrine for the deity, the park will also have a make shift stage for cultural programmes and various stalls selling Bengali food as well as local delicacies. It is however advisable to avoid visiting this area in cars since most of C R Park is cordoned off for outside vehicles during the Puja days.

Cultural performances during Durga Puja in Delhi

Apart from C R Park, other areas of Delhi have grand celebrations as well. Last year Arambagh Durga Puja, close to Connaught Place (CP), spent Rs. 1 Crore for the elaborate decorated pandal and had the ex-president Dr Abdul Kalam for inauguration.

Also, the Kashmiri Gate Durga Puja is one of the oldest celebrations in Delhi and is a huge crowd puller even today. Additionally the various temples such as Kalibari near CP, Shiv Mandir at C R Park and Durga Bari have observances that are more focused on the purity of the rituals and the devotional aspect of the festival.