Colours, Devotion and Identity: Manchester's Hindu Community Celebrates in Style

Manchester's Hindu and broader Indian community has been marking its presence with vibrant celebrations and deep spiritual devotion, reminding the city just how rich and varied Desi cultural life truly is.

🎨 Holi Across the North-West: Colour, Music and Community

A wave of Holi celebrations is sweeping across the north-west of England, with multiple events planned over ten days following the actual date of the festival. In Greater Manchester, a ticketed Holi Jam at the Stonemasons Arms in Altrincham will feature Indian street food, a Bollywood jamming session and a DJ, while a free event at Platt Fields Park in Fallowfield offers an accessible afternoon of music and colour for all. Over in Cheshire, Utsav are hosting a family-friendly day at Whitby Sports & Social Club in Ellesmere Port, complete with live dhol drumming and food, with free entry for children under five. The events collectively reflect the festival's joyful themes of marking the end of winter and celebrating the triumph of good over evil. [1]

🪔 BAPS Swaminarayan Brings Diwali and Annakut to Manchester

BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, a global Hindu spiritual organisation with a presence in the UK, held Diwali and Hindu New Year Annakut celebrations for its Manchester-area devotees. The Annakut, a cherished tradition in the Swaminarayan faith, involves the offering of a vast array of freshly prepared foods to the divine as an expression of devotion and gratitude. The event forms part of BAPS's wider calendar of festivals and spiritual activities that connect local communities to their heritage and faith. For Manchester's Gujarati community in particular, events organised by BAPS provide a vital anchor of cultural and religious continuity. [2]

🏏 Who Are Manchester's Indians? A Community Portraits Itself

The Manchester Mill undertook a photo essay and community portrait project to explore the diverse Indian communities of Greater Manchester, timed to coincide with the England versus India Test match at Old Trafford. According to the 2021 Census, just over 69,000 people in Greater Manchester identify as Indian or British Indian, making them one of the city's largest communities, with roots spanning Gujarat, Punjab, Bengal and beyond. The project took journalists and a Delhi-born photographer to locations including the Gita Bhavan Hare Krishna Centre in Whalley Range and the Indian Association in Withington, uncovering a growing sense of unified Indian identity in the city. Long-time residents spoke of decades of change, while cricket — watched live at Old Trafford — emerged as a shared passion cutting across the community's many sub-groups. [3]

Sources: [1] BBC · [2] BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha · [3] manchestermill.co.uk