Durga Puja 2026 in Delhi: CR Park Pandals, Route and Food Guide

Durga Puja 2026 in Delhi runs from Maha Shashthi on Saturday, 17 October to Bijoya Dashami on Wednesday, 21 October. The busiest nights will be Ashtami (19 October) and Navami (20 October). Chittaranjan Park is the centre of it all, with more than half a dozen major pandals within walking distance of each other. Some of the city’s oldest pujas are elsewhere, in Kashmere Gate, Timarpur and Minto Road.

Durga Puja 2026 dates

Delhi’s Bengali committees follow the Bengal panjika, so their dates run a day behind the North Indian calendar at the end. Dussehra falls on Tuesday 20 October, but sindoor khela and immersion happen on Wednesday 21 October.

Day	Date	What happens
Mahalaya	Sat, 10 Oct	Devipaksha begins; early-morning Mahishasura Mardini broadcasts
Maha Shashthi	Sat, 17 Oct	Bodhon: the goddess is unveiled, and most pandals open to the public in the evening
Maha Saptami	Sun, 18 Oct	Nabapatrika (kola bou) bath at dawn; the first full day of crowds
Maha Ashtami	Mon, 19 Oct	Pushpanjali in the morning, Kumari Puja and Sandhi Puja; the peak night
Maha Navami	Tue, 20 Oct	Navami bhog, dhunuchi naach in the evening; very crowded (Delhi holiday)
Bijoya Dashami	Wed, 21 Oct	Sindoor khela, then immersion processions

For the nine nights of garba running in parallel, see our Navratri guide. For the live list of pandal events, cultural nights and bhog timings as committees announce them, keep our Durga Puja pandals hub open.

CR Park: Delhi’s mini Kolkata

Chittaranjan Park was settled by families displaced from East Bengal, and it still feels like a Kolkata para during Puja. Dhakis drum through the lanes, food stalls take over the markets and the air smells of incense and fish fry. The big pandals are all walkable.

• Mela Ground: the biggest and busiest, near Market 1. It’s known for an old-school, community feel, with dhakis, conch shells and a proper para atmosphere rather than just spectacle.
• Cooperative Ground: one of the big three, near A Block. It’s known for large themed pandals and elaborate lighting, and it’s usually a touch less packed than Mela Ground.
• B Block: famous for its lighting, done in the style of Chandannagar’s light artists. It’s the photographers’ favourite after dark.
• Kali Mandir (Kali Bari): the hilltop temple complex, built in Bengali temple style. Its puja is the most devotional of the lot.
• Navapally (Pocket 40), Pocket 52, D Block and K Block: smaller, friendlier pujas that are worth a stop when the big three are heaving.

Themes and idols change every year, and committees usually reveal them only on Shashthi. Don’t trust anyone who tells you this year’s “best theme” in early October.

Getting to CR Park

Station	Line	Distance	Best for
Nehru Enclave	Magenta	About 1 km to the centre	Mela Ground, Cooperative Ground
Nehru Place	Violet	About 1 km to B Block	B Block, Kali Mandir side
Greater Kailash	Magenta	About 1.5 km	Northern pocket pujas
Kalkaji Mandir	Violet/Magenta interchange	About 1.8 km	Auto ride in

There’s effectively no parking inside the colony during Puja. If you must drive, park around Nehru Place or Kalkaji and take an auto. Better still, take the metro and walk.

Beyond CR Park: the historic and neighbourhood pujas

Some of Delhi’s most loved pujas have nothing to do with CR Park. Many of them are older and calmer, and they have a strong local following.

Puja	Where	Why go	Nearest metro
Kashmere Gate Durga Puja	Bengali Sr Sec School, Alipur Road	Delhi’s oldest community puja, since 1910; traditional daker saaj idol	Kashmere Gate (Red/Yellow/Violet)
Timarpur & Civil Lines Puja Samity	Timarpur	Over a century old, known for fine idol work	Vishwavidyalaya (Yellow)
Minto Road Puja Samity	Minto Road, central Delhi	Since 1940; tradition first, plus evening cultural programmes	Rajiv Chowk (Blue/Yellow), then a short auto
Arambagh Puja Samity	Arambagh, near Paharganj	Known for big-budget, elaborate pandals	RK Ashram Marg (Blue)
Matri Mandir Samity	B-2 Block, Safdarjung Enclave	Award-winning, traditional South Delhi puja	AIIMS (Yellow)
Mayur Vihar pujas (Kalibari, Milani, Antaranga)	Mayur Vihar Phase 1	A cluster of pujas known for bhog and cultural nights	Mayur Vihar-1 (Blue/Pink)
Sushant Lok Puja	Gurugram	A well-established Gurugram community puja	IFFCO Chowk (Yellow), then cab

Noida and Greater Noida sectors and many Gurgaon societies host their own pujas too. These are smaller but warm, and often have the best home-style bhog.

A pandal-hopping route that actually works

Route 1: one long evening in CR Park (4–5 km on foot)

1. Around 4 pm: get off at Nehru Enclave and walk to Cooperative Ground while it’s still light enough to see the pandal’s craftwork.
2. Around 5:30 pm: cut across to Mela Ground for the dhak and the food stalls, and eat your first round here.
3. Around 7 pm: after dark, head to B Block for the lighting.
4. Around 8 pm: go up to Kali Mandir for the evening aarti, if you can get close.
5. Around 9 pm: loop through Navapally (Pocket 40) and Pocket 52, which are calmer and good for photos.
6. Around 10:30 pm: walk out towards Nehru Place (Violet Line) to catch the metro before last trains, or book a cab from the main road rather than inside the colony.

If you have only two hours, do Mela Ground, B Block and Kali Mandir.

Route 2: a heritage day, mostly on the Yellow Line

Start with morning anjali on Ashtami at Kashmere Gate, then ride three stops north to Vishwavidyalaya for the Timarpur puja. In the afternoon, come back south and change at Rajiv Chowk for RK Ashram Marg (Blue Line) to see Arambagh, then go on to Minto Road. Finish in the evening at Matri Mandir in Safdarjung Enclave via AIIMS station. It’s a good choice if you’ve done CR Park before and want the older, quieter side of Delhi’s Puja.

What to eat

Puja food is half the point. Bring an appetite and some cash, though most stalls take UPI. Budget roughly ₹200–₹500 per person if you graze across stalls.

• Kosha mangsho, the slow-cooked, dark mutton curry, with luchi or paratha
• Fish fry and kabiraji cutlet, the crumb-coated, lacy-edged Kolkata classics
• Egg and chicken rolls and mughlai paratha
• Luchi with cholar dal, the vegetarian favourite
• Sweets: mishti doi, sandesh, rosogolla and, if you spot it, nolen gur (date-palm jaggery) anything
• Bhog: many pujas serve khichuri, labra (mixed vegetables), chutney and payesh at lunch from Saptami to Navami. Ask the volunteers about the timing and queue politely.

CR Park’s Market 1 and Market 2 fish markets are where many of Delhi’s Bengalis shop all year round, so the restaurants around them are worth a sit-down meal if your feet give up. For food festivals beyond Puja, see our food festivals hub.

Crowd and metro tips

• Go early in the Puja. Shashthi evening and Saptami afternoon are the most relaxed. Ashtami and Navami between 7 and 10 pm can be shoulder-to-shoulder, which isn’t ideal with small children or elderly parents.
• Or go late. After 11 pm the crowds thin out at many pandals, though food stalls start packing up.
• Use the metro. Delhi Metro’s last trains leave their terminals at around 11 pm, so check your line’s final train before staying out late.
• Wear comfortable shoes that slip off easily, since some pandals ask you to remove footwear near the idol.
• Keep valuables in a front pocket. Packed queues attract pickpockets.
• With children, write your phone number on a card in their pocket and pick a meeting point at each pandal.
• Respect the rituals. During anjali, aarti and Sandhi Puja, keep your phone down and don’t push to the front for photos.

Dashami: sindoor khela and immersion

On Bijoya Dashami (21 October), married women traditionally smear sindoor on the goddess and on each other before the idol leaves. These days many pujas welcome everyone who wants to join in. Mornings at the big CR Park pujas are the place to see it. Dress in clothes you don’t mind ruining.

Immersion processions follow later in the day. In recent years Delhi’s authorities have steered immersions away from the Yamuna towards designated ponds and ghats, so routes and timings are set locally. Your puja committee will know. After Dashami, the city’s attention turns to Diwali; our Diwali 2026 guide has the dates.

For everything else on during the festival week, from concerts to comedy, check this weekend in Delhi or browse festival events.

Frequently asked questions

What are the Durga Puja 2026 dates?

By the Bengali calendar, Maha Shashthi is on Saturday 17 October, Saptami on 18 October, Ashtami on Monday 19 October, Navami on 20 October and Bijoya Dashami on Wednesday 21 October 2026. Mahalaya falls on 10 October.

Which is the best Durga Puja pandal in Delhi?

CR Park's Mela Ground, Cooperative Ground, B Block and Kali Mandir pujas are the best known. For history, the Kashmere Gate puja at the Bengali Senior Secondary School on Alipur Road has been held since 1910.

What is the nearest metro station to CR Park?

Nehru Enclave on the Magenta Line is about a kilometre from the middle of CR Park. Nehru Place on the Violet Line is close to B Block, and Kalkaji Mandir (Violet/Magenta) also works if you take a short auto ride.

When are Durga Puja pandals least crowded?

Shashthi evening and Saptami afternoon are the calmest. Ashtami and Navami evenings, roughly 7–10 pm, are the busiest. Late nights after 11 pm are lighter, and many pandals stay open.

Is there parking in CR Park during Durga Puja?

Practically none. Park near Nehru Place or Kalkaji and walk or take an auto in, or come by metro.