A Palimpsestic Narrative Of The Chinese Settlement In Calcutta

“Self-imposed invisibility is the distinct characteristic of Kolkata's Old Chinatown today” (Bose, 2016). Yet, their presence in the city is strongly felt through the Chinese breakfast street of Tiretta bazaar, hand-made leather shoe-shops in Bentick Street, Chinese owned beauty parlours and laundromats, and the week long festivities of the Chinese New Year. Though the diaspora has maintained a cultural specificity by means of temples, clubs, schools and newspaper presses, their aspiration to assimilate is evident in their built environment. In Calcutta, the often-overlooked stories of the Chinese settlements highlight a hidden side of the city's architecture. Through the spatial study of the two Chinatowns – Cheenapara, within the CBD, and Tangra, on the outskirts – this study explores the indicators of assimilation and assertion of identity of the Chinese diaspora in the city. It delves into the hidden, yet pivotal spatial practices that reveal a complex interplay of inclusion, exclusion, and displacement—factors often overshadowed by the physicality of architecture. The essay is the result of the research conducted during my master's program in Architectural History and Theory from CEPT University, India, under the guidance of Dr. Sonal Mittal. The research foregrounds the intangible heritage of the Chinese in Calcutta, through a meticulous exploration of archival documents and histographical maps. By transcending the traditional architectural narrative that prioritizes tangible outcomes, this paper argues for a recognition of the invisible actants—stories, myths, and archived narratives—that mold the unseen architecture of community identity and memory. Through this lens, the paper contributes to an understanding of architecture not merely as a physical artifact but as a repository of underrepresented narratives and contested heritage, challenging the borders of conventional architectural discourse and advocating for a broader, more inclusive historiography that recognises forgotten labours and decolonial approaches.