Raahgiri Delhi turned the inner circle of Connaught Place into a car-free public space on Sunday, bringing together residents for cycling, sports, fitness, cultural activities and road-safety engagement. The event was organised by the Raahgiri Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports’ Sundays on Cycle campaign and the New Delhi Municipal Council.
Held under the message “roads are beautiful when they belong to people”, the programme converted the central Delhi destination into a people-focused setting for walking, recreation and community participation. Children, young people, senior citizens and families took part in activities spread across the inner circle and Central Park.
The event included cycling, badminton, cricket, yoga, zumba, fitness sessions, folk dance, puppet shows, chalk art, games and a fitness zone. Stalls and interactive engagements were also set up for participants. The programme concluded its entertainment component with a live performance by Euphoria Band at Central Park, where young participants sang and danced along with the music.
The morning began with a cycle rally flagged off by Delhi cabinet minister Ashish Sood, NDMC chairperson Manoj Kumar Dwivedi and Ajay Chaudhary, special commissioner of Delhi Police in charge of traffic. The participation of the civic body and traffic police placed the event within a broader effort to use public roads for active mobility and promote safer road behaviour.
Sood said Raahgiri gives citizens an opportunity every Sunday to reclaim public spaces for walking, cycling and healthy community activities. He also said the Delhi government was making efforts to develop dedicated cycling tracks across the city.
Dwivedi said the participation of young people in cycling, fitness and other activities sent a message about healthier and more sustainable modes of mobility. He also linked the programme to public awareness around pollution and community participation.
Chaudhary described Raahgiri as a platform for promoting responsible road behaviour and increasing awareness about traffic safety. According to him, such initiatives allow citizens to engage with public spaces while encouraging safer and more responsible use of roads.
The Connaught Place programme places a high-profile commercial and heritage precinct at the centre of Delhi’s continuing public-space experiments. By temporarily removing vehicle movement from the inner circle, the event gave residents access to activities that are difficult to organise on roads during normal traffic conditions. The organisers presented the initiative as a way to demonstrate how streets can support recreation, fitness and social interaction alongside movement.
The event’s next stated focus is the continuation of Raahgiri every Sunday, alongside efforts by the Delhi government to develop dedicated cycling tracks across the city.
