Delhi residents are adjusting weekend plans as traffic restrictions, diversions and regulated movement linked to the BRICS Summit affect parts of central Delhi, prompting cultural venues to close, events to be postponed and fitness groups to shift their meeting points.
The disruption is most visible around central Delhi’s heritage, cultural, shopping and recreation districts. Several galleries, restaurants, event venues and public destinations remain open, but visitors have been advised through venue announcements and event organisers’ updates to account for restricted movement and possible delays.
The Bazaar at Sunder Nursery will remain closed on Sunday. Rohan Aggarwal, its coordinator, said the decision followed concerns about vendors and visitors reaching the venue and moving through the city during the summit-related arrangements. “Since it involves vendors bringing in their products from various far-off locations and visitors travelling in, any restrictions or movement-related disruptions can make logistics quite challenging,” he said. He added that the decision was intended to avoid last-minute inconvenience for vendors and visitors.
Some organisers have shifted activities away from the affected areas. Heritage walk leader Nitika Arora is conducting a Metro Morphosis walk entirely through the metro network, with the route moving between stations and ending at a station outside central Delhi. She also identified Tughlaqabad Fort, Shalimar Bagh and Adilabad Fort as alternatives for residents seeking heritage activities that can be accessed by metro.
The opening reception for artist Kanchan Chander’s 50-year retrospective at Bikaner House, scheduled for Saturday, has been postponed to Monday. Chander said traffic restrictions could have reduced attendance and affected the purpose of the reception. “I want people to come see my works of the last 50 years, so I had to postpone to the 14th,” she said.
Fitness groups that usually meet at Kartavya Path and Shanti Path have also changed locations. Harshit Seth, an entrepreneur from Rajouri Garden, said he moved his daily runs to the Delhi Cantt area after seeing route restrictions around Shanti Path and Nehru Park. He said runners could face uncertainty because the area normally attracts large numbers of people on Sundays and movement may be regulated during VVIP travel.
Several central Delhi destinations remain open, although access may be affected by diversions. These include Purana Qila, Humayun’s Tomb, India Gate, Kartavya Path, the National War Memorial, Delhi Zoo, Sunder Nursery, the National Crafts Museum, the National Science Centre, the National Gallery of Modern Art, IGNCA and the National School of Drama. The Mandi House theatre circuit, Triveni Kala Sangam, Kamani Auditorium, Shriram Centre for Performing Arts, Janpath Market, Connaught Place, Palika Bazaar and Khan Market are also among the destinations visitors may need to plan around.
Some institutions have separately announced closures. Lalit Kala Akademi and the National Museum are set to remain closed over the weekend, while the National Gallery of Modern Art will remain closed on Friday. The changes come as Delhi hosts the BRICS Summit, with regulated movement and diversions affecting roads around central Delhi. Organisers and visitors are continuing to revise schedules and routes for the weekend.
