Balconies peeping through overgrown greens, the clatter of tea cups, the chatter of afternoon conversation in high Bengali; now a sneeze of shorshe maach being tossed in a kitchen, and then the incessant pounding of a relentless young drummer’s jam session and, every once in a while, the odd dhoti-clad man with his black umbrella swinging through the streets.

No, this is not Kolkata but Delhi’s own mini Kolkata – Chitranjan Park, a stubbornly refreshing little slice of Bengal amidst the cosmopolitan chaos of Delhi.

CR Park is flanked by Kalkaji and GK (Greater Kailash) II; CR Park is popular as a residential area with young professionals and for many of the burgeoning media and cultural industries. With the commercial centers of Okhla and Nehru Place within easy reach, CR Park has rapidly transformed from an obscure Bengali settlement into a prosperous middle class professional and small businessman’s haven.

CR Park, like many South Delhi localities that came up in the 1950’s was the result of painstaking agitations led by the East Pakistan Displaced Person’s Association (EPDPA), as scores of displaced Hindu Bengalis thronged to the capital after partition. By 1969, some 2000 families had been allotted plots on the land that lay unused beyond Kalkaji through a draw of lots. Another 714 families were allotted plots a few later and CR Park blossomed.

Like many erstwhile refugee colonies, CR Park has started heaving under the brunt of its rapidly growing “not just Bengali” population. But according to one of the first original allotters Col. A. K. Lahiri, “the air we breathe is still Bengali, the language you hear on the streets is Bengali and kali not hanuman presides in the temple here.”

Famous with four bustling markets, CR Park has a life if its own. From Kasundi to patisapta – if it’s Bengali, you will find it here. Also worth sampling at the CR markets are the egg rolls at Market 1.

Poised in stark contrast down the street from market 1 is the Kali Bari, with its sprawling lawns, wide arches and according to rumors was built by the early residents secretly through the nights. It took Kali Bari several years to assume its present majestic look. Other than dedicated temples of Kali, Shiva, and Krishna, the complex also has library, guesthouse and also offers charitable medical facilities. Cultural programs and elaborate ceremonies mark the Durga Puja season at CR Park.