On the eve of Chinese New Year, The Guide pays a visit to Mumbai's lone place of worship for the community, a forgotten chapter from China
On the eve of Chinese New Year, The Guide pays a visit to Mumbai's lone place of worship for the community, a forgotten chapter from China
No amount of Googling prepared us for the discovery. Tucked away in a sleepy lane, about 100 metres from Dockyard Road Station (E), the building that housed the Chinese temple merged with the streetscape, almost inconspicuous. Just like the less-than-thousand Chinese who live in Mumbai. There were no dramatic dragon dance sequences to ring in the New Year festivities. Instead, we encountered a deafening silence as we made our way into the deserted Nawab Tank Lane.u00a0
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A tiger rug indicates the Year of the Tiger |
In fact, it was possible to spot the See Yun Kon building, abode of the mighty warrior Kwan Tai Kon, thanks to the bright red balcony lined with lanterns. Stepping inside this two-storied premise, a locked door gave us a scare. Luckily, the first floor showed signs of activity. It was home to residents of the building, the Thams.
Wife, Sandra Tham graciously gave us a guided tour of the temple, upstairs. As we climbed our way up the wooden staircase, the fragrance of incense filled the air.
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Satin and silk coloured fabric and decorations dot the temple |
This 80 year-old temple is small, covering about 300 square feet. There's a huge drum to the right of the door, which devotees beat after prayer. Incidentally, the Thams moved into the building barely a month ago. The See Yup Kon Trust looks after the upkeep of the temple, run on donations. A certain Albert Tham is the man Friday who takes care of daily maintenance.
Inside, an impressively decorated altar houses the main deity -- General Kwan Tai Kon. At the gold-painted altar, the General stands supreme, two menacing lieutenants behind him. There are a few silk flags on a post displayed around New Year's time. Red, an auspicious colour for the Chinese, overrides the insides. A cylindrical holder containing wooden chopstick-like strips caught our eye. "You have to shake it vigorously, and pick one of the sticks," Sandra chips in. Each strip bears a number which tallies with your fortune. She points to a huge board attached to the wall nearby, with files of bamboo sheets fixed under different numbers, in Chinese script.
Each number has a corresponding fortune card. "People read their fortune, annually... not frequently, you see," she mentions, with a broad smile.u00a0
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A board has fortune cards made from bamboo paper attached to it, that the Chinese refer to once every year |
Originally from Kolkata, Sandra has been living in Mumbai for 35 years. Born to a Chinese father and Bengali mother, she is married to Tham Sui Ming, and says the family is "more Indian than Chinese". "My son prefers dal-chawal to Chinese food," she chuckles when asked if there will be a special New Year menu cooking in the Thams kitchen.
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Entering the temple gives you instant passage into the Oriental, never mind the scarcity of it, within its four walls |
The temple gets visitors mostly during the New Year and the Moon Festival (observed 8 months and 15 days from the New Year). "Otherwise, it's just another quiet lane with a few Chinese families," she says.
Who is Kwan Tai Kon?General Kon was believed to be a righteous man, known for his fair judgment and justice. It was these virtues that guided a group of Cantonese sailors who worked for the East India Company, to India. The shrine is supposedly around 80 years old.
