Durga Pujo in Delhi: Top 5 Places You Must Visit to Celebrate

Durga Pujo. The essence of the festival is to worship the female force without whom the world will come at a standstill. Durga Pujo is most famous in Bengal but is celebrated pan India. For Bengalis nothing can come closer to the pandals of Kolkata but we have tried to manage a list of 5 places where you can feel the magic of Durga Pujo in Delhi.

Kashmere Gate

Delhi Durga Puja Samiti, also known as the Kashmere Gate Durga Puja, is the oldest community Durga Puja in Delhi. It started in the year of 1910 at Roshanpura Kali Mandir, Delhi. At Delhi Durga Puja Samiti, Maa Durga’s idol is always in the traditional “Daaker Saaj”. The idol is prepared and crafted traditionally, her garments are of silver and gold, with large glittering crown and large earrings.

Location: Alipore Road, opposite Indraprastha College for Women in Civil Lines

Closest Metro Station: Civil Lines (Yellow Line)

Chittaranjan Park

Chittaranjan Park also mini Bengal of Delhi is the most famous venue for the Durga Puja celebration in the city. Durga Puja celebrations at CR Park, New Delhi match with that of West Bengal, Kolkata. CR Park has 37-year-old Puja samitis spread across 4 different blocks – B Block. K Block, Kali Mandir Society Puja and Mela Ground Puja.

Location: Near Greater Kailash I & II and Kalkaji

Closest Metro Station: Nehru Place (Violet Line)

Safdarjung Enclave

The place which houses a quiet and serene Kali Bari in the midst of Delhi. What makes the Puja celebration at Safdarjung so special and different from others is their creativity in selecting a different theme every year and modeling the pandal as a replica of an Indian temple. The place attracts thousands of devotees.

Location: B-2 Block, Safdarjung Enclave

Closest Metro Station: Green Park and AIIMS

Minto Road

Celebrate Durga Pujo in traditional Bengali style at the Minto Road Durga Puja Samity. The Minto Road Durga Puja pandal has been constructed as ‘Rajbadi’, a Bengali royal palace. The Minto Road pandal boasts of an over 10 feet high Durga Maa idol. The idols of Durga Maa along with Goddess Laxmi, Goddess Saraswati, Lord Ganesh and Lord Kartik have been crafted by Sukumar Pal, Kolkata’s most famous artist.

Location: The cross section of Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg and Ahalya Bai Road

Closest Metro Station: Rajiv Chowk

Kalibari, Mayur Vihar

Durga Puja celebrations at the New Delhi Kali Bari temple began in 1925 making it one of the oldest pandal in the city. While the celebrations were initially held on Baird Road (present-day Bangla Sahib Road) where the temple was initially located they moved to Mandir Marg where the temple moved in the early ‘30s. Quite like the Kashmere Gate Pandal, the celebrations are very traditional. Puja rituals at the New Delhi Kali Bari have remained unchanged since 1936 and to this very day the pandal organizes competitions in Rabindra sangeet and recitation! This is a puja which is the most authentic and very close to Bengali culture.

Location: Pocket-2, Mayur Vihar Phase 1

Closest Metro Station: Mayur Vihar Phase 1

Compiled by Purva G Mittal

If you know of other places to celebrate Durga Puja in Delhi, do let us know! Happy festivities!