Durga Puja in Delhi / NCR
The first Durga Puja started in Delhi in the year 1910, (Kashmere Gate Durga Puja). Now several hundred Durga Pujas are organized across Delhi and its NCR towns of Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad. (Location pin in the map below)
Significance: Durga Puja celebrates Ma Durga’s visit to her parental home on earth with her children (Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik, and Ganesh).
It’s a festival that combines worship with food, fashion, functions, and musical events.
Durga Puja map in Delhi (with exact map pin)
Click on the top-right of this interactive map above to open in full screen.
- Click on “View Map Legend” to see different categories
- Click on the Map icons in the map for the Durga Puja you want to go to.
- Click on the Direction Arrow to navigate on Google Maps directly.
Best days to visit the Durga Puja pandals
Durga Puja in Delhi is spread across the following days
The best time is generally the evening time. By this time, the lighting and decorations are in full glow. The food stalls are up. The atmosphere is lively with people of all age groups in festive spirits.
| Durga Puja Day | Tips for Pandal Hopping |
| Panchami Tue, Oct 8, 2024 | Some of the bigger Pandals are unofficially open. Most pandals also have “Anando Mela” organized on this day. Some Durga pujas also do this a day before or after Panchami. |
| Sasthi Wed, Oct 9, 2024 | Durga Pujo officially starts from Sasthi evening. So this evening is the best time to cover the most popular pandals with shorter queues. |
| Saptami Thu, Oct 10, 2024 | The count of visitors slowly starts increasing by Saptami |
| Asthami Fri, Oct 11, 2024 | Asthami marks the end of the Navratri festival in North India. So there is a huge surge of visitors from this day. The food stalls also see a rise in footfalls. |
| Navami Sat, Oct 12, 2024 | This being the last day, it sees the maximum rush of visitors. Expect long queues to enter the popular pandals. Also, expect a vast array of food stalls to run out of stock earlier than usual!! |
| Dashami Sun, Oct 13, 2024 | This marks the journey back of Ma Durga. The idols are dismantled with dance and Sindhoor-Khela and then taken to a nearby water body or river for immersion |
Major Events Of A Durga Puja In Delhi NCR
Anando Mela
Anando Mela is more of a modern-day event, where the local members bring homemade delicacies to sell at the Durga Puja pandal (A pre-designated evening, normally Panchami or Sasthi). Expect a wide range, like homemade sweets, Mutton-Kormas, Chicken-biryanis, Fish-cutlets, Kathi-rolls, Pakodas, Ghugni, Payesh, etc.
Bhog Prasad
Bhog is the Prasad of the puja. It’s a common practice in almost all Delhi / NCR Durga pujas to serve Bhog to all visitors in the afternoon time. Everyone and anyone present is invited. No questions asked. In fact, Bengalis feel so nostalgic about this meal, that they often try preparing A Pujo special Bhog and Labra on a Sunday afternoon, just for some Pujo vibes!
Food stalls
Durga Puja is also a festival where people relish the choicest food. Be it street food, quick snacks, chicken rolls, biryani, phuchka, or a huge variety of sweets.
Evening Aarati
The traditional Puja in the evening. But also a major draw for the visitors.
Dhaki
Dhaki, or the people who play the Dhak, are integral to Durga puja. They infuse the rhythm during the Durga Puja with their engaging beats.
Dhunuchi Naach
Dhunuchi Naach is a dance performed during Durga Puja. Most Durga puja pandals also organize a competition for the best dancers.
Sindoor Khela
A playful ritual involving married women applying sindoor to each other’s faces while also sharing sweets and happiness.
Visarjan
Dashami or Vijaya Dashami. is the last day of Durga puja. On this day immersion is done in a nearby waterbody or Yamuna River.
Some Prominent Durga Puja Areas
Chittaranjan Park, or C.R. Park Durga Puja
is a neighborhood in south-east Delhi. Due to the huge population of Bengalis in that area, it hosts some of the most famous and biggest Durga Pujas of Dellhi-NCR. This area with about half a dozen durga pujas is the biggest draw of visitors for Durga Puja. (The exact location of each puja is marked in the above map)
Kashmere Gate Durga Puja
It is the oldest Durga Puja in Delhi NCR.
New Delhi Kali Bari Durga puja:
It is one of the most prominent Durga Pujas in Central Delhi.
Minto Road Durga Puja
Durga Puja, Aram Bagh Durga Puja
Dwarka Durga Puja
Dwarka, in South-west Delhi, has several durga pujas. (The exact location of each puja is marked in the above map)
Matri-Mandir Durga Puja
South Delhi has Matri-Mandir Puja, famous for its creative pandals and a big food court.
South Delhi Durg Puja
Dakshin Delhi Kali Bari Durga Puja, and, a few in RK Puram and a few Sarojini Nagar
Summary
So, enjoy this festival of Worship, joy, food and entertainment.
Use the map above, to plan your days and go ahead.
Disclaimer: we strive to capture most of the Durga Pujas in Delhi NCR.
To add any missing Durga puja to this map, please leave the details in the comments below.
This is quite informative. Thank you for sharing.
Lovely photos as always !!