Abstract
This chapter will explore incredible process of famous Chinese Admiral Zheng He’s transformation to sainthood and mystical experience enjoyed by devotees in Indian Ocean costal line of Malabar. Admiral Zheng He made seven frequent voyages to Malabar between 1405 and 1433 with marvellous fleet of 317 ships, almost 30,000 people. During the seventh voyage, he died in Calicut, and the mosque, Cheenedathu Palli, adorns tomb of Chinese Sheikh, where people irrespective of religion used to visit for paying respect. It is important to learn how the admiral became a reverent saint, what is the significance of sanctified number ‘seven’ in this sacred story, how the community enjoy the supernatural power of the admiral-turned sheikh and so on. Malabar ports were premeditated points for Chinese traders as their second home, for being the most famous, as well as secure, port towns of the world. This area was popular, and it was clearly depicted in the early writings of world-renowned travellers who visited the region. This chapter will also explore the nature of annual Nerchas in honour of Chinese Saint, a festival similar to the temple festival of the region. This study will also compare the nostalgic cultural legacies of sacred stories with trajectories of early trading and political axis developed as shared heritages of Chinese Malabar relations.
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