South Asian Heritage Month
1 to 31 July 2026

Kent Saheli Group presents and celebrates annual Teeyan festival in Gravesend, Kent.

Kent Saheli Group (KSG), a charity based in Kent, celebrated Teeyan with 700 women attending at Fort Gardens, Gravesend on Sunday 21 July 2024. Teeyan, also known as ‘Teej’ or ‘Teeyan Da Mela,’ is a traditional festival that celebrates the monsoon season and women’s sisterhood. Women from various parts of the UK gathered to celebrate […]

South Asian Podcasters get together!

First ever South Asian podcasters meet-up organised by Sangeeta Pillai, Masala Podcast at the London Podcast Show 2024

South Asian and interested in podcasting? This is for you. We made history with with the first ever South Asian Podcasters Meet-Up in the UK! This was literally the first time podcasters had come together in any UK podcasting industry event. I was told it was the “Most Attended Meet-Up” at the The Podcast Show […]

British Asian Anti-Fascism in the Wiener Holocaust Library’s Collections

The Library’s collections provide a unique insight into British Asians’ fight against fascism in the late twentieth century. In the 1970s, the National Front had repeatedly targeted Black and Asian communities in a deliberate attempt to ‘declare the streets as theirs’. As highlighted by the document below, their ideology was based on nationalistic racism and a wish for Britain to remain a ‘white country’. They were opposed to non-white immigration and repeatedly organised anti-immigration marches.

Destined to support Bangladeshis during challenging times

Ripon Ray I grew up in Tower Hamlets, an area of East London which was known to be one of the most neglected areas in the UK. I only mixed with the Bangladeshi community, both at home and my school, Stepney Green Secondary. I always felt like a Bangladeshi living in Britain, though East London […]

The Colourful Journey of my Writing

My first recorded writing was my scribbles in my grandad’s diary that proclaimed “Book is god.” Who knows what was going on in my head to write that? When I discovered that tattered diary and found my writing, I realised decades later, it’s on brand for me. I grew up in a family with limited […]

Chhavi’s Journey: Embracing ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ – The World as One Family

As we celebrate South Asian Heritage Month with the theme ‘Free to Be Me’, I reflect on my unique journey and the challenges I’ve overcome as a South Asian woman. Growing up, there was an expectation that I would pursue a traditional career in engineering, medicine, law, or accountancy. While I did study engineering initially, […]

Celebrating South Asian Heritage: A Journey of Inspiration and Connection

  As South Asian Heritage Month approaches, I find myself reflecting on the profound impact this vibrant culture has had on my life and artistic journey. My name is Tiah, and though I may not be South Asian by blood, I proudly embrace its rich tapestry as if it were woven into my very being. […]

Home is where Creativity is

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Hello and welcome to my story. My name is Inshirah Kishwar Sakhawat Russell. You can call me Inshra. I’m a Bangladeshi-born British person who has been living in London for the last 20 years. My roots are in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and the richness of culture and values those 19 years of living there with my […]

‘My story’ with Dr Waheed Arian – from fearing for our lives to saving lives

This year’s theme for South Asian Heritage Month (18 July to 17 August), is ‘stories to tell’. My story is a reminder that more than 100 million people in the world are displaced. With lack of access to basic amenities and healthcare, their memories may be similar to mine as a young boy – filled with conflict and war.

Ketan Dattani: The Road to an Inclusive, Diverse, and Equitable World

“Growing up in a city like London meant that from an early age I was exposed to many different beliefs and ethnicity. Growing up in a diverse community has allowed me to see people for who they are without focusing on what religion they practise or what country they come from or what colour their […]