It is that time of year when the city comes alive with the sound of dhaka, gong and flavours of mouthwatering Bengali dishes. The air has a different note with sweet chants of the aarti. On account of the grand Durga Puja, Delhiites Magazine, takes you through the best pandals in town to celebrate this festive true ‘bengali’ style.
1. Chittaranjan Park
If you have a time crunch and can only visit one location to experience the true spirit of Durga Puja then head to Delhi’s “mini-Bengal” aka CR Park which has been celebrating this festival with much gusto for almost four decades. This area alone hosts four major Puja hubs, namely the C.R Park Durga Puja Samity B Block Durga Puja, the C.R Park Durga Puja Samity K Block Co-operative Ground, the Chittaranjan Park Kali Mandir Society Puja and the Mela Ground Durga Puja Chittaranjan Park, all within a walk able distance from each other. So if you have a festive bucket list with goals of dancing to the sound of Dhaak, having sumptuous Bhog Prasad, participating in Sindur Khela or acing the Dhunuchi Nach within limited time period and scanty resources, then just land yourself here.
2. Kashmere Gate
The Kashmere Gate Durga Puja Samiti dates back to more than a century thereby making it the oldest Durga Puja destination of New Delhi. This is the place you should head to if you want to experience how Durga Puja is celebrated traditionally. While there are numerous Puja committees sanctioning avant-garde pandals and ethereal idols Kashmere gate Puja Samiti believes in keeping it conventional with the Devi and her children bedecked in the traditional “Daaker Saaj”. Let your eyes feast on the bedazzling jewelry and fabrics which adorn the idols and once you’re done with the visual feasting you can head straight to its celebrated food stalls and feast on the mouth watering snacks they have on offer.
3. Matri Mandir Society
It’s immensely inspiring to witness how Indians can deftly incorporate serious humanitarian issues along with its boisterous religious celebrations. Exemplifying this statement is Delhi’s Matri Mandir Society of Safdurjang Enclave which is all set to ring in its 50 years of Durga Puja celebration by commemorating Paris’s resilience to the recent terrorist attacks on its soil. With its theme as World Peace the Matri Mandir Society has taken the initiative to recreate the luxurious Palais Garnier in the form of its puja pandal. One of the many threads joining Delhi with Kolkata is its love for drumbeats. This year the Matri Mandir Society is inviting a group of Dhakis or drummers, which also include women (girl power!), led by Gokul Das who is known to have shared stage with musical stalwarts like Ustad Zakir Hussain and Pandit Ravi Shankar. Renowned singer Kavita Krishnamurthy will also grace the occasion with her harmonious presence.
4. Mandir Marg
Another puja which goes back to pre independence India is the Kali Bari Puja of Mandir Marg. The Goddess has been worshipped here since 1925 and the people organizing this Puja believe in keeping the simplicity of the bygone era intact in their celebrations. The ambience oozes a traditional aura as the rituals and decorations are done keeping age old customs in mind. The idol is ornamented in polystyrene (also colloquially known as thermocol) adornments and all the Gods and Goddesses are joined together in a single frame, as was the customary style decades ago. If you are a fan of Rabindranath Tagore then do visit the pandal once the singing and recitation competitions commence.
5. Minto Road Puja Samity
Also a product of the national capital shift from Calcutta to New Delhi under the aegis of the British Raj, the Minto Road Puja Samity goes back to 1913. Counted as one among the most outstanding Durga Puja celebrations in Delhi, there is a good chance of bumping into well known dignitaries if you happen to visit this destination at peak puja hours. The idol is fashioned and the rituals are carried out in the Bengali aristocratic style or Bonedi Puja. Its visitor’s list dazzles with the names of President Pranab Mukherjee, Ministry of External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and other political giants like L. K Advani. So make sure you drop by at this venue, which has just completed its 75th anniversary, if you want to witness how Durga Puja was celebrated by the Bengali aristocrats from the previous centuries.
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