Nam Soon Church, Kolkata加尔各答南顺会馆庙

Type

Overseas Daoist Temples

Location

India · West Bengal · Kolkata · 13 Damzen Lane, Kolkata 700073

First built

c. 1820 · Said by some to be the oldest surviving Chinese temple in Kolkata; founded by immigrants from the three counties of Nanhai, Panyu and Shunde.

Overview

Nam Soon Church is located at 13 Damzen Lane, founded around 1820, and is said by some to be the oldest surviving Chinese temple in Kolkata. It was established by immigrants from the three counties of Nanhai, Panyu and Shunde (collectively 'Nanshun,' also written 'Nanfanshun'), and is dedicated principally to Guandi, with Lu Ban (patron of craftsmen) and the God of Wealth also venerated. The enshrinement of Lu Ban directly reflects the occupational makeup of the temple's founders: Nanshun immigrants in Kolkata were largely engaged in carpentry, shipbuilding and construction, hence the inclusion of the craftsmen's patriarch — a typical example of how overseas Chinese temple pantheons shift according to occupational structure. The temple has a courtyard, within which hangs an old bell; its courtyard layout is the most complete among Kolkata's temples (most occupy only a single room on the second floor). The association once maintained an attached old-age home and a Chinese-language school, combining religious, educational and eldercare functions. It must be honestly noted that this is a clan-association temple, in which religious and native-place organization are fused, rather than an independent Daoist establishment.

Highlights

• Founded around 1820, said by some to be Kolkata's oldest Chinese temple
• Founded by immigrants from Nanhai, Panyu and Shunde
• Dedicated principally to Guandi, with Lu Ban and the God of Wealth also venerated
• The cult of Lu Ban reflects the carpentry and shipbuilding trades
• Once maintained an attached old-age home and Chinese-language school