Kolkata: Kolkata’s Chinese community ushered in the Year of the Horse on Tuesday with prayers, lion dances and community gatherings in Tiretta Bazar and Tangra, drawing both locals and curious Kolkatans to the celebrations.Festivities began a week in advance, building up to the Lunar New Year on Tuesday. Chinese temples across the city received a fresh coat of paint, their interiors refurbished and altars redecorated. Red lanterns and streamers lined narrow lanes of the two Chinatowns, while crimson banners inscribed with messages fluttered at entrances.
For the past week, members of the community prepared for traditional dances. The rhythmic beat of drums and the clash of cymbals echoed through the lanes and the bylanes of the two Chinatowns as performers rehearsed in bright costumes.“Many Chinese families who migrated elsewhere return to Kolkata on Chinese New Year. That is what makes the festival so special,” said Christina Tham, a resident of Bow Barracks. “Everyone comes together during this time, from temple committees to small business owners, and that reminds us that we still belong to this city.”Several groups curated walks around the Chinese New Year in the past few days. On Tuesday afternoon, heritage enthusiasts assembled at Black Burn Lane near Tiretta Bazar for a curated walk exploring Kolkata’s Chinese legacy. “We wanted people to understand that the Chinese story is an integral part of Kolkata’s multicultural past and present,” said Abir Basu, who organised the walk. “The response was overwhelming. Many participants have never stepped inside a Chinese temple before.” Groups moved through old temple courtyards and past traditional eateries, pausing to photograph lanterns and intricate paper cuttings pasted on doors. Social media enthusiasts were out in large numbers, taking pictures, filming lion dances and posting videos as the festivities unfolded.Throughout the day, Chinese eateries in Tiretta Bazar and Tangra were packed with diners. Families queued for steaming bowls of noodles and dumplings, while owners tried to keep pace with demand. On Tuesday afternoon, members of the community gathered in Bow Barracks, where red envelopes were exchanged and firecrackers crackled intermittently. Children dressed in bright silk outfits darted between elders, offering prayers for prosperity and good fortune.“For us, this is the one time of year when the entire community makes an effort to show up,” said Christopher Ian Alpin, a community member. Janice Lee, an entrepreneur, said, “It is so good to see even non-Chinese participating in such large numbers.”
