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Coronavirus

Many in our communities are reaching out to help their family members and neighbours. Although people cannot visit their local places of worship, many of the temples are providing help by providing online services and online tools that help us through these difficult times. On this page, we will keep you updated on what is available from Hindu organisations.

BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir (Neasden Temple)

Videos in Gujarati and English on

Protecting Ourselves and Others from Coronavirus.

There is also a daily webcast at 6.45 pm and other special events. Please check out the website for further details and get notifications.

Hindu Forum of Britain has also announcements. Please click HFB

Keep in touch

Latest News

REPLAY - Diwali in London 2024

REPLAY - Diwali on Trafalgar Square 2024 – The Festival of Lights Returns to London

The most celebrated Diwali festival in Europe is back! Diwali on Trafalgar Square (DOTS 2024), hosted by the MAYOR OF LONDON in partnership with the Diwali in London Committee (DiL), will take place on Sunday, 27th October 2024 at Trafalgar Square.

Once again, this annual celebration of the Festival of Lights will bring communities together for a day filled with joy, culture, and festivity, marking the victory of light over darkness and good over evil.

Diwali is one of the most significant events in the Indian cultural calendar, and this year’s festival promises to be a spectacular showcase of the rich traditions, vibrant colours, and unity that Diwali embodies.

Open to all and free of charge,

DOTS 2024 invites Londoners and visitors alike to experience the cultural grandeur of this joyous occasion.

Event Highlights – Live Performances:

A day-long programme of performances featuring traditional and contemporary music and dance. Attendees can enjoy the finest classical Indian dance forms and energetic Bollywood performances from talented artistes across the UK.

– Food Stalls: A diverse selection of vegetarian food stalls offering authentic Indian cuisine, from popular street food to traditional sweet treats, allowing guests to savour the flavours of Diwali.

– Family Activities: A range of interactive activities for all ages, including henna art, exciting games, and storytelling sessions focused on the significance of Diwali.

Additionally, a series of unique Marquees will enhance the event’s immersive experience:

– Bhajan Zone: Join a collective of voices singing devotional bhajans, uplifting the spirit of togetherness and harmony.

– Glimpses of Goddesses: A sacred space featuring live representations of Hindu Goddesses, offering a meditative experience of divine grace and power.

– Puppet Marquee: A captivating puppet show retelling the Ramayana, the ancient story behind the festival of Diwali.

– Sari and Turban Marquees: Experience the elegance of a sari or the regal feel of a turban, with expert drapers at hand to guide you.

– Yoga Marquee: Discover the health benefits of yoga through guided workshops suitable for all, whether you are new to yoga or a regular practitioner.

– Dance Marquee: Join in Bollywood dance workshops and experience the joy of movement through a variety of dance styles.

– Children’s Marquee: A dedicated space offering activities and entertainment to keep children engaged throughout the day.

– Diwali Culture Zone: A series of interactive games and cultural experiences, offering a deeper understanding of Diwali and its message of harmony and giving from the heart.

Join Us in Celebration Diwali is a time to reflect on unity, peace, and the spirit of renewal.

Trafalgar Square will be transformed into a vibrant space, filled with light and positivity, embodying the community spirit and values of Diwali.

DOTS 2024 is a unique opportunity for London’s diverse population to come together, appreciate cultural richness, and celebrate the festival’s universal themes.

Event Details

– Date: Sunday, 27th October 2024

– Time: 1:00 PM – 7:00 PM GMT

FREE event – Open to ALL

– Location: Trafalgar Square, London

Contact info: Email: media@diwaliinlondon.com Website: www.diwaliinlondon.com

Freedom of Hindu Beliefs

The British Sanatan Dharmic Alliance organised an events called Freedom of Hindu Beliefs. It was a first of its kind event, bringing together prominent parliamentary figures, community leaders, Hindu rights activists, academics and members of the diverse Hindu community.

Tolerance over Interference

The farmers protest has taken a violent turn last week when thousands broke through the main protest and invaded one of India’s iconic sites – The Red Fort. And if that was not bad enough, they did it on India’s Republic Day celebrations.

The Pioneer Lawyer

One of the worst years in humanity’s history is coming to an end it is very sad to see that many key events and anniversaries have been marginalised. One such key date is the anniversary of women’s rights which has been rarely mentioned in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Diwali like no other

The pandemic has changed the boundaries of what we can do, and what we cannot. Diwali no longer means that thousands of people out on the streets of Leicester or on Trafalgar Square.

Faith Leaders write to PM over lockdown

The Coronavirus is taken its toll and as the second lockdown takes effect, there are lots of questions as to on what basis decisions are taken. The faith communities are particularly upset. A group of faith leaders have jointly written to the Prime Minister saying: “We strongly disagree with the decision to suspend public worship during this time.”

Coronavirus - Are we winning?

The world psyche revolves around the coronavirus as stories of death, economic destruction, and glimpses of inspirational individuals continue to cover the news headlines.

As the numbers of covers have begun to rise again, the data for the South Asian community does not look rosy. South Asians are five times more likely to get coronavirus than white people. Numerous reports have shown that BAME communities have a much higher chance of dying from coronavirus than white people.

Vegetarian & Vegan Kitchen - Healing Our Earth

It is another must-watch. Healing Our Earth group of volunteers are bringing another seven hours of in-depth insight into vegetarian and vegan cuisine. You can watch it at

https://m.facebook.com/healingourearth

and

www.healingourearth.com

Coronavirus latest

The amount of information available on coronavirus is astonishing, but with it comes confusion, mixed messages and a whole lot of fake or inaccurate news. So here we are here again hoping to simplify the key information impacting the ethnic communities currently on the news agenda.

The global online summit to combat COVID-19

Life in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic is severe, stressful and in many cases fatal with the UK death rate rising above forty-four thousand. It is during this time; you see and hear about the brave and enduring individuals who find ways to beat the odds against the virus.

The Coronavirus Jigsaw Puzzle

The reasons behind why ethnic minorities are suffering greater losses over COVID than the white population continues. It is also getting more confusing as there is so much speculation, yet less clarity as to what it all means and what extra steps should BAME communities take to fight the dreaded disease.

Alpesh Chauhan, New Music Director of Birmingham Opera Company

It is breath-taking to see a young role model making his mark into the mainstream of British arts and culture. The Birmingham Opera Company has appointed locally born Alpesh Chauhan as their new Music Director.

Coronavirus Latest - India joins the Global Vaccine Mission

The crisis of Coronavirus continues worldwide. Even countries with low mortality rates are not safe, as they are either lacking increased testing or they are fearing a second wave of the spread which could further bring chaos within the health and economic systems.

Coronavirus - Humanity ahead of politics and profiteering

What we took for granted only a few weeks ago, now is a completely different world where we cannot even touch our loved ones.

The legacy of an Asian media pioneer

The gentle giant and one of the great pioneers of Asian media in the UK, Ramniklal Solanki has sadly passed away after an illness aged 88. He lives behind a legacy of inspirational stories about his own life as well as the thousands of other lives he helped to highlight on the pages of his media empire.

Commonwealth Games

So, after India threatens to boycott the Commonwealth Games, the officials negotiate and buckle down to a deal where India will host the archery and shooting events and pay the bills.

Arvind Krishna CEO of IBM

Indian professionals continue to make their mark on the top echelons of the world's tech companies. The latest one is Arvind Krishna taking up his post in April 2020 as the new CEO of IBM.

UK India Technology Innovation Fund

Talented Indian techies have an opportunity get funded with a new British Government fund launched to support collaborative research under the UK-India Tech Partnership.

British Museum snaps up Indian masterpiece

The British Museum has managed to raise around £440,000 to buy a painting by one of India’s greatest painters which was earmarked to be exported abroad. It has been bought with support from the Art Fund, National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Brooke Sewell Permanent Fund.

Never to be Forgotten

India has adopted the marigold as a symbol to commemorate the Indian soldiers who died in WW1.

Diwali - a new dawn

It’s a sight of a new dawn. Indian culture is extending across the globe. Where Indian culture has been tolerated for the sake of diversity and community relations is now embraced by the mainstream.

Let us not forget Gandhi's legacy

Two years have been marked to celebrate Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th anniversary and there have been many celebrations all around the world.

A Parliamentary First

Britain ethnic minority population is nearing 14%. There has been a steady rise in how ethnic minorities are represented in public life at around 8% in parliament.

Places of Worship under attack

The threat to places of worship has been mainly targeted toward mosques and synagogues. It would be an oddity that other places of worship would face any kind of hate from vandals and criminals. But in the last year or so, things have changed, and no places of worship are safe from being hit.

Kumar Iyer appointed Chief Economist at FCO

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) has appointed Kumar Iyer as their Chief Economist thereby making him their first BAME origin member of the Board of Management.

New Government measures to update crematoria facilities

The Hindu community has welcomed the Government’s decision to help update crematoria facilities so that the needs of different faiths can be accommodated.

World's largest 'Bhagavad Gita'

The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the world's largest and heaviest Bhagavad Gita at the ISKCON temple in New Delhi. It is the world’s “largest principle sacred text ever to be printed.”

Gandhi Peace Centre Inauguration

More than 300 guests attended West Midland's Shri Venkateswara Balaji Temple for the opening of the Gandhi Peace Centre.

Diwali in the European Parliament

Following on from Diwali in Trafalgar Square and Belgrave Road, Leicester, the wider Europe has begun taking notice of the importance of Hindu Festivals outside India.

Diwali on the Square

In its 17th year, the Diwali festival on Trafalgar Square attracted thousands of people for an afternoon of spectacular celebration and commemorating the legacy of Indian soldiers during WW1.

UN Environmental Accolade

For years India has had to be stuck with the labels of unhygienic, dirty and not taking environmental issues seriously. Are such views justified?

Looking to the Future

In its 72nd year of Independence, India is a country with thousands of years of heritage. So how is this diverse nation progressing?

Government backs off from caste

After years of debacle, political scrutiny, community disharmony and blame from all sides, Theresa May’s government has finally decided to ditch the caste legislation.

UK India Week 2018

In a special event dedicated to the UK India-Week, there is much hope that this special relationship will only get stronger as Brexit beckons and Britain needs a major trading partner. With India progressing as an economic hothouse, it is no wonder that the UK-India Week is gaining new gravitas.

Pukaar Community Concert

A prominent women’s organisation ‘Pukar Group’ in Leicester managed to raise over a thousand pounds by organising a community concert.

The Commonwealth in Highlights

In a democratic country, people have a right to protest. And there were plenty of protests during the recent visit of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London.

Commonwealth

Heads of Government Meeting, London 2018

Hanuman Jayanti

It is Easter time in the Christian calendar and people are breaking up for the Easter break. But this year, March 31st also represents a major festival in the Hindu calendar. It is dedicated to the birth one of the great superheroes of civilisation – Lord Hanuman.