The divinity Guan Di enshrined in the Toong On Church of Kolkata, India.Tablet dedicated to Lu Pan and Deities enshrined in the Nam Soon Church of Kolkata, India.
Chinese temples are associations (會館) and sites of worship of Chinese folk religion and Chinese Buddhism for the Chinese community in Kolkata. Kolkata has a significant population of Indian nationals of Chinese ethnic origin (immigrants and their descendants that emigrated from China starting in the late 18th century to work at the Kolkata port as well as the Chennai port). Unofficial estimates puts the population of Indian nationals of Chinese-origin in Kolkata anywhere from 5,000 to 200,000, most of whom live in or near Tangra.[1][2] The Chinese brought with them their culture. At least eight of the Chinese temples are located in the old Chinatown around Tiretta Bazar in Central Kolkata.[3]
Temples
Though the places of worship are referred to as "churches", they are sites of veneration that adhere to Chinese traditional religion and have nothing to do with Christianity.
^Biswas, Ranjita (2005). "Little China Stays Alive in Eastern India". IPS News. Inter Press Service News Agency. Archived from the original on 18 February 2006. Retrieved 26 September 2006. Though most of the local Chinese are Christians, they celebrate the traditional Chinese New Year with gusto and many who emigrated from Kolkata make it a point to return at this time.
