Join us at West Yorkshire History Centre, Wakefield, on Saturday 19th July to celebrate South Asian Heritage Month. There will be a chance to explore archive collections, look behind-the-scenes, enjoy free family crafts and snacks, and share your stories! Plus see objects from Wakefield Museums and Castles and […]
Forest Gate Freedom Walk led by local historian Peter Ashan
Interpreting Hindu Festivals: Colonial Perspectives and the Shaping of British Understanding (1757–1858) Join us at Roehampton Library, where historian Anamika Bhattacharjee will present her doctoral research, which explores how British colonial scholars and administrators interpreted Hindu religious festivals during the East India Company period. Focusing particularly on Diwali and Holi, Anamika examines the ways in […]
‘Ayah’ refers to South Asian women and ‘Amah’ to South East Asian women who served the British in Asia and other colonies as children’s nannies, nursemaids and ladies’ maids. For the last few years Hackney Museum has been researching the stories of ayahs in Britain and in east London in particular. These pioneering women were […]
My story begins with my grandfather, who plucked up the courage to travel aboard at the age of 22 and start a new life in the UK. I don’t think he would have thought that he would see three generations thereafter flourish and live an Anglo-Indian life in Great Britain. Beginnings in Siyod Vanmali Patel […]
Download the PDF Here Hackney Libraries South Asian Heritage Month Recommended Reading List
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 […]
Gaje Ghale was born on 1 August 1918 in Barpak, Gorkha District, Nepal. Barpak, a small village nestled in the rugged terrains of the Himalayas, is in a region that has produced some of the most esteemed soldiers to have served in the armed forces.
Records indicate that no Victoria Crosses were awarded to Indian soldiers specifically for their actions at Monte Cassino during The Second World War. However, Indian soldiers played a significant role in the gruelling battles for Monte Cassino, with many displaying exceptional bravery. One soldier, Sepoy Kamal Ram of the 8th Punjab Regiment, did receive the Victoria Cross for his actions at the Garigliano River in Italy in May 1944.
Mir Dast, a distinguished soldier from the Indian Army, was awarded the Victoria Cross for exceptional bravery in the First World War.
South Asian Heritage Month dates changed to "July" from 2026 — Learn more here →
