Indians In Old Shanghai: A Unique Walk To Showcase Age Old Cultural Connections

On India’s 77th Republic Day, Indian Consulate General in Shanghai, Pratik Mathur, curated an “Indians in Old Shanghai” walk to showcase the rich history of the Indian community in Shanghai. It was a deep

dive into the contributions and characters of India in Old Shanghai.

CG Pratik Mathur, together with the leading Historical Society of China, Historic Shanghai, curated an “Indians in Shanghai” event for Friends of India from the diaspora, local community, and diplomatic and consular corps, including colleagues from the BRICS New Development Bank in Shanghai.

Leading historians Patrick Cranley and Tina Kanagaratnam explained to participants the rich history of landmarks such as the Bund, the word itself derived from the Hindi language, and its meaning and origins rooted in old maritime links.

Glimpses of Sikh valour and Azad Hind Fauj

The interactions during the event also featured details of the Shanghai Gurdwara, built in 1908. During the Second World War, the Sikh community of Shanghai had volunteered to give the building to the Indian National Army (INA – Azad Hind Fauj) for its use. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose visited this training camp in the city in 1944.

Celebrating our great Republic! 🇮🇳☀️#VasudhaivaKutumbakam 🌎🪷

In the lead upto our 77th Republic Day celebrations, CG @PratikMathur1 together with the leading Historical Society of China @HistoricSH curated a “Indians in Shanghai” event for Friends of India from the… pic.twitter.com/xE2SrTTSMq

— India In Shanghai (@IndiaInShanghai) January 25, 2026

Jo Bole So Nihaal! The event also featured descriptions of the brave Sikh warriors from the Indian army and the Ghadar party, and a visit to the struggle sites where they persevered in the face of tremendous odds to spread the message of independence and freedom.

Amar Sonar Bangla

The gathering also paid tribute to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, who visited Shanghai multiple times and whose immortal works heralding India’s rich civilisational heritage continue to inspire us today. The links fostered by trading, business, and shipping companies, including banks such as Tatas and Hong Kong and Shanghai International Bank, were also cited and showcased to underline the age-old link the city enjoys with India.

The visitors of the event also had an opportunity to visit sites and places of interest linked with Azad Hind Fauj, Parsee and Dawoodi Bohra Communities, and the Sephardic Jewish community who trace their roots to Gujarat and other parts of Western India such as Mumbai. A brief video showing the family history of several such families and inspirational figures from city archives was also released on the occasion.

Consul General Pratik Mathur, while felicitating the organisers and historians, underlined the significance of the Indian community’s cultural heritage and paid tribute to the rich contributions that India’s soft power has made to humanity and the founding of our great Republic.