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December 31, 2011 Rangan Datta Leave a commentGo to comments

Home > Calcutta (Kolkata), General, Kolkata (Calcutta) Festival > Chinese New Year~ Calcutta

Chinese New Year ~ Calcutta

Chinese New Year Celebrations~ Calcutta (Kolkata) ~

Join me on a Chinese New Year Tour on 10 Feb. For details mail at rangan_datta@yahoo.com

The Chinese settlement of Calcutta dates back to to 1780s when a trader named Tong Achewset up his sugar factory near present day Budge-Budge. The place today is known as Achipur,after Tong Achew. The Chinese soon deserted Achipur and headed for Calcutta (Kolkata),where they are presently settled in Tangra & Tiretta Bazar regions.

Red Dragon down the road

The Calcutta Chinese community celebrates the Chinese New Year in traditional way completew ith dragon & lion dances at Tangra & Tiretta Bazar. The celebration starts several daysbefore the new years day w ith stage shows set up at both Tiretta Bazar & Tangra. On theday of the Chinese New Year dragon & lion dances are held on the streets of Tiretta Bazar &Tangra.

On the Sunday after the Chinese New Year the entire Chinese community of Calcuttaconverges at Achipur (near Budge – Budge) to pay tribute to Tong Achew, the first Chinesesettler of India.

The celebration in Calcutta (Kolkata) starts about a week before the new years day. Giantstages are set up at both Tangra & Tiretta Bazar. In Tiretta Bazar a huge stage is set up atChattawalla Guli, the venue of famous chinese breakfast. Dragon & lion dances and variouscultural programes are performed on the stage.

Lion Dance (Left: Stage, Right: Street)

Dances are also held on the street accompanied by loud firecrackers. No Chinese festival iscomplete w ith Chinese food. Makeshift food stalls sell mouth watering sausages, dim sumsand noodles.

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Top Posts & PagesChinese New Year ~ Calcutta

West Bengal (Excluding Calcutta)

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Bandel ~ Church and Imambara

Chinese Breakfast, Old Chinatown(Tiretta Bazar), Calcutta (Kolkata)

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The Lion heads for the Lettuce

Calcutta (Kolkata), General, Kolkata (Calcutta) Festival

Achipur, Calcutta, Calcutta Chinatown, Calcutta Chinese Community, Calcutta heritage Building,Chinatown, India Chinatown, Kolkata

Left: Lion Dance, Right: Dragon Dance

On the morning of the Chinese New Year the Chinese of Calcutta assembles in the ChineseTemples of Tiretta Bazar and Tangra. Candles are lit and soon the lion and dragon dancestarts in the temple compound or in front of it.

The dancers soon make their way outside the templemaking their way through the w inding lanes of Calcutta’sChina Town, accompanied by beating of drums andcymbles and not to mention the loud firecrackers.

The dancers make their way to different Chinese businessestablishment, shops, eateries and even some household. The lion heads out for the the piece of lettucesuspended high above. The two dancers, managing thelion, after some efforts finally get hold of the piece oflettuce containing money wrapped in red paper, decoratedwith Chinese calligraphy.

The entire Tiretta Bazar area comes alive as differencegroups of dancers through the w inding lanes going as faraway as Bow Barracks. Occasionally the long dragon,managed by six dancers, can be seen making its waythrough the lanes and by – lanes of Tiretta Bazar.

The situation is similar in Tangra.

Notes:

The photos are shot at Tiretta Bazar (2010 & 11) and Achipur (2010)The Chinese New Year 2012 is scheduled on 23 Jan and is the “Year of Dragon.”

Reference from my Website & Blog:

Photos of Chinese New Year, Calcutta & AchipurTravelogue on AchipurChinese Temples of Tirett BazarChinese New Year, Achipur

List of my Blog entries on Calcutta (Kolkata)

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Comments (3)Trackbacks (0)Leave a comment Trackback

atmtx

February 5, 2012 at 12:35 PM ReplyThis is wonderful. Very interesting to see the Chinese New Year celebrated inanother country. I didn’t know about the Chinese population living in Indiabut this makes a lit of sense and of course the two countries are a lot closerthat all the way here in North America.

indrani

February 14, 2015 at 9:27 PM ReplyInteresting traditions. Hope they continue!

DattaGhosh

(@IamDattaGhosh)

February 15, 2015 at 9:17 AM ReplyLove the way you depicted it

2011 in review Calcutta GPO ~ Site of Old Fort.

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