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Pre-Pujo buzz: Heritage walks enliven Delhi’s CR Park
Want to see how Delhi’s mini Bengal gets Pujo-ready? Heritage and photo walks are already taking visitors for a BTS tour of idol-making, history and traditions.
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It’s still almost a month for dhunuchi and dhak to fill the air with Durga Puja vibes in the Capital. But culture enthusiasts can’t hold on to their excitement. It’s therefore the walk conductors who have gone into an overdrive curating exciting ways to provide immersive experiences to those wanting to just stroll through Chittaranjan Park (CR Park) as an annual tradition during this time of the year. Believe it, there’s a lot to explore! To help culture enthusiasts navigate this hub of artistry and divinity, city’s heritage walk conductors are curating pre-Pujo tours — offering everything from historical deep-dives and artisan interactions to authentic Bengali delicacies and market walks.
History & hands behind it
The experience kicks off with a traditional Bengali breakfast of Radhaballabhi (popular Bengali preparation of lentil-stuffed puri) and piping-hot Aloo Dum, accompanied by steaming chai and deep-dive stories into Pujo history. Through the Pujo Aashchey walk where attendees are getting a rare backstage access to watch artisans who transform raw clay into massive 30-to-50-foot idols.
“There is an electric buzz here about a month and a half before Puja,” says Ramit Mitra, founder of DelhiByFoot, adding, “We call CR Park the ‘Mini Bengal’ of Delhi, and this walk gives attendees a front-row seat to a 500-year-old tradition. You don’t just hear backstories and mythology, you walk through the lanes to watch master artisans who have come all the way from Bengal to handcraft these massive, towering idols over months of painstaking work. For non-Bengalis, it’s an immersive crash course in a rich festival and for the Bengalis living away from home, it’s an emotional reconnection to the sights and sounds of Kolkata (West Bengal).”
Refugee roots to cultural anchors
For a narrative centered on memory and community, the Mitti Se Maa Ka Safar walk organized by Sabhyata Foundation will take participants through Market No 1 and the iconic Kali Mandir in CR Park. “The first community Puja was held here in 1970 in the park opposite Market 1, with just 25 to 30 families,” shares heritage expert Archana Jain, who will lead the walk. She explains, “Everyone knows CR Park as Mini Kolkata, but people often miss the story behind the celebration... Our aim is to give a deeper understanding of the community’s history, the journey of Bengali refugees post-Partition, and the traditions they preserved here. The Kali Mandir has became a spiritual anchor for the community, while Market No 1 captures everyday Bengali culture and the quintessential adda.”
Capturing clay through lens
For visual storytellers, the process of bringing the idols to life is a dream to relive every year, and something they wait for all round the year to capture. It’s because of the intricate craftsmanship that an interest for localised photo walks has spiked. “After I joined this photo walk last year, it completely changed how I look at the festival,” recalls Delhi-based social media manager Ananya Roy, adding how this experience is impossible to recreate. She adds, “Standing inside the makeshift artisan workshops, watching raw grey clay slowly transform into stunning, expressive faces of Goddess Durga: it’s pure magic. You don’t just click photos here, you capture the soul of CR Park before the madness of the pandals begins. Hence, I was the first in line to book a slot again this year as soon as the walk was announced.”
Confirming about the buzz for the Durga Puja photo walk, Virendra Shekhawat, founder of Delhi Photography Club, adds, “For our popular DPC Heritage Photowalk : Durga Puja Idol making, we opened 35 slots last week and all of these filled up within a day! It’s because of the word-of-mouth publicity that we got after some participants experienced it last year and got a rare, full access to candidly observe and photograph artisans completely immersed in their craft.”
Want to be part of a pre-Pujo walk? Here are the deets:
What: Pujo Aaschhey
Where/When/Timing: CR Park, September 20, 8am to 11am (+91-9871181775)
What: Mitti se Maa ka Safar
Where/When/Timing: CR Park, October 9, 5pm to 7pm (8796383600)
What: DPC Heritage photowalk : Durga Puja Idol making
Where/When/Timing: CR Park, October 3, 8.30am to 10.30am (8826712162)
