History, culture and food: Delhiites take pre-pujo walks through CR Park

With just a couple of weeks to go for Durga Puja, CR Park is bustling with preparations. As murtikars add Ganga maati to the idols inside workshops, pandals are taking form across the largely Bengali neighborhood. For other Dilliwallahs, pre-pujo heritage and photo walks provide a glimpse into Bengali culture, with the organisers sharing stories of rituals and mythology surrounding Durga Puja.

Ramit Mitra, chief explorer, DelhiByFoot Adventures, who has been conducting pre-pujo walks in CR Park for the last 12 years, says, “Our four-hour walk. The experience involves discussion on how CR Park has changed as a neighbourhood, how Pujo festivities have evolved over the years and its social and cultural relevance. It concludes with a Bengali breakfast, including radhaballabhi, chaa and mishti doi."

He adds," It is a mixed bag of experiences to give a glimpse into who a Bengali is and how their life transforms for the five days of pujo.” After meeting a team of murtikars lending shape to idols for pandals across Delhi, the participants of Mitra’s pre-pujo walk tried to embrace the rhythm of dhunuchi naach.

During a guided tour through the CR Park Kali Bari, walk leader Dushyant Singh Panwar takes participants through the history of the erstwhile EPDP colony, which was later named after freedom fighter Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, in the ‘80s. “The idea behind bringing people to CR Park ahead of Durga Puja is to give them a peek into Bengali lifestyle before the hustle-bustle of the festival begins,” says Dushyant.

Pre-pujo walk hotspots

• Kali Bari
• Idol-making workshops
• Pandals
• CR Park Markets

"The pre-pujo walk was a class in history and culture. Such experential tours in which anecdotes and tales are shared are an interesting way to understand a culture," remarked Sangeeta Das, a Mayur Vihar resident who attended a pre-pujo walk.

Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”