The Hungry Ghost Festival in Calcutta's Choong Ye Thong

When the ghosts enter the human realm, the Chinese diaspora in Calcutta prays to send them back to their graves. Hungry Ghost Festival celebrates filial piety and delicious food in Calcutta's largest Chinese cemetery.

A devotee at Choong Ye Thong, Source-The Concrete Paparazzi

The Hungry Ghost Festival is celebrated among the Buddhist Chinese population. It is symbolic of filial piety; the tradition of its celebration goes back to 538 CE and has found a place in the Indian state of Calcutta. Worshipping the dead determines their safe passage in purgatory, and the Confucian ideas lay emphasis on it. Funerary rites hold a special place in Asian culture, the migration of the diaspora brings with itself the old Chinese practices.

The Indian-Chinese population has been a part of Calcutta’s diverse cultural heritage for a very long time. Their migration as leather workers in Tangra in the 1960s and continuous occupation of the region have influenced their lifestyle in a number of ways. Upon suffering from the tragedy of famine the Chinese arrived in India in search of better opportunities. Along with the new migrants arrived the old traditions. Since these migrants arrived before the Chinese Revolution the old rituals and practices were preserved. The Hungry Ghost Festival, also known as the Yulanpen Festival in Buddhism is one of those practices. The Chinese Buddhist and Taoist population in India in their celebrations offer food to the dead, burn incense sticks and joss paper money as a reverence to the dead. During the festival, the Indo-Chinese population prays for the return of the ghosts so that the ghost does not bring bad luck to anyone.

“Three years later they dig the graves because if the body is completely decomposed then it is ok but if it has not decayed completely then the body is buried again for some time. After the body completely decays they wash the bones well and put it in a pot and bury it a new place in same burial ground (as a mark of shifting the house)(Gujarat research society)”

The Choong Ye Thong cemetery, located on the Meredith Street in Calcutta, has traditional-style Chinese graves with a unique design resembling a horseshoe. The graves also have a gravestone of white marble. The Choong Ye Thong cemetery has limited space and as a result, the graves are close to each other. Despite this, it is the largest Chinese cemetery in Calcutta. The cemetery is dominated by shades of grey and in the middle of the horseshoe is a white gravestone. The Choong Ye Thong Club, which was established in 1862 looks after the cemetery. The deities that are placed in the monastery belong to Taoist and Buddhist traditions.

“The celebrations begin at about 8am and continue for a couple of hours. An elaborate spread, usually consisting of exotic fruits and nuts, wine and beer, candies, boiled vegetables, meat and fish is laid out in front of the graves. Large red candles and incense sticks are lit.(Telegraph India)”

The belief associated with the Yulanmen Festival is that the souls of the dead ancestors roam around hungry and penniless in the human realm for a month. By visiting the graves, the descendants pay their respects and request the ghosts to go back to the graves. This festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the Seventh month of Chinese calendar. The dutiful descendants consider it an important practice for the safe passage of their dead ancestors. They also visit the Hsuan Tsang Monastery to pray. Around this time the cemetery is lively and reminds the people of their shared heritage.