Food, history, adda and photography: Festive walks in CR Park capture the buzz of Durga Puja

What’s the one word that comes to your mind when you hear Durga Puja?” asks Ramit Mitra, founder of DelhiByFoot Adventures, as he begins the pre-pujo walk with a word association game in the middle of CR Park’s bustling Market 2. “Festivities, celebration of women’s beauty, Ashtami, homecoming,” and more were the answers from the participants, who joined the walk that began with lebu cha (black tea with lemon) and mochar (banana flower) chops and fish cutlets on their plates.

The three-hour walk, like the many happening in CR Park during this time of the year, is an immersive experience of the Durga Puja buzz. To catch the pre-pujo buzz, culture enthusiasts are heading to CR Park, where walks are offering glimpses into the historical, cultural, spiritual facets of Durga Puja.

Over puchkas and jhalmuri, walk leader Ramit traces the history of the EPDP colony, later named after freedom fighter Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das in the ’80s.

Within the Kali Mandir, the walk’s final stop, the walk leader delves into the roots of Durga Puja, once held only in the homes of zamindars, and later transformed into a community celebration. As the walk culminates, he sums up the emotion of pujo: “The form of the devi one sees during Durga Puja is that of the daughter who has arrived in her maiden home, but also of the divine mother and the slayer of demons like Mahishasura.”

‘The walks reveal finer aspects of Puja prep’
Dushyant Singh, dressed in a kurta and dhoti, starts his walk in front of the Kali Temple in CR Park, offering “a peek into the cultural heartbeat of this mini Bengal in Delhi.” He shares, “I started hosting this walk last year to showcase the symbolism and iconography of Durga and Kali, the process of idol making and more. The walk rounds off with a Bangla jolkhabar (snacks) dish Radha Ballabhi and roshogolla.”

Anoushka Jain, founder of Enroute Indian History, who conducted a pre-Puja walk recently, says, “The Shakti Walk starts at Kali Mandir and it allows participants to interact with idol makers from Krishnanagar in West Bengal, who are tirelessly working in the workshop for three months.”

Abu Sufiyan, founder of Tales of City, which is organising a pre-puja pandal-hopping experience and a dive into pujo-related art and rhythms in GK2 and CR Park, says, “The event is not just a walk but Durga Puja through pen strokes, stories, and soulful beats. The idea is to capture the pulse of the pujo and introduce the richness of the culture to a wider audience.”

Photographers’ delight
For photographers, the workshops are a big draw. Virendra Shekhawat, founder of the Delhi Photography Club, has been organising photowalks in CR Park’s idol-making workshops. He says, “Photographers love to capture the entire process of idol making right from the mud stage to the final form, while they are in the pandal to the immersion. It helps document a complete cycle of life in visuals.”

"I was introduced to Durga Puja by a few Bengali friends last year. I find the forming art out of earth very fascinating. So, attending this walk gave me an opportunity to capture the finer nuances of the pujo and its prep," says Siddharth, a Delhi-based photographer who attended a walk with DBF.