Kwan Kuang Temple

Mumbai (Bombay)


Located on one of Mumbai's seven islands, Mazgaon, the Kwan Kuang Temple is a monument to the city's once-strong Chinese community, most of whom were forced to return to China following the 1962 Sino-Indian war. The near-century old, two-storey temple – the last of its kind in Mumbai – is adorned with murals of Chinese gods, prayer flags, light lamps and crimson paraphernalia. To reach the temple, take the Harbour line to Dockyard Road Station.

Every year, the city's remaining Chinese population, now less than 1000 people, gather to seek the blessings of Kwan Kuang, the Warrior God. Come and meditate on the wooden floor or listen to the stories of an era gone by from the temple’s caretaker – Albert – whose forefathers built the temple.