The Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional holiday originating in China, which has been held annually for more than 2,000 years in the days close to the summer solstice. The focus of most celebrations involves eating zongzi (sticky rice treats wrapped in bamboo leaves), drinking realgar wine (an alcoholic drink that consists of cereal wine and powdered yellow-orange mineral), and racing dragon boats.
The festival was organized by the Indian Chinese Association for Culture, Welfare and Development with support from the Consulate-General of The Peoples Republic of China in India. The dragon boat race was held in the Rabindra Sarobar Lake in the southern part of the city and hosted by the Calcutta Rowing Club, the second oldest rowing club in the world and the oldest in Asia.
Thousands of people gathered beside the lake to watch the two teams of rowers compete with each other as they pulled the oars of the boats with small dragon cutouts, according to Xinhua.
Local artists from China Town performed the dragon dance with Chinese drums and cymbals.
Festival visitors also enjoyed various traditional Chinese food catered by stalls set up by owners of restaurants at China Town.
According to one of the legends, the Dragon Boat Festival is based on the suicide of the poet and statesman of ancient China in 278 BCE Qu Yuan, who was known for his patriotism and wisdom. He was accused of false charges of conspiracy and exiled by the king. He drowned himself by attaching a heavy stone to his chest and jumping into the Miluo River. Local people, who admired him and believed he was an honorable man, raced out in their boats to save him or at least retrieve his body. When he was not found, they dropped balls made of sticky rice into the river so that the fish would eat them instead of Qu Yuan's body. This is said to be the origin of the boat races and zongzi.
