Celebrating South Asian Heritage
By Carly Lovedawn
It’s South Asian Heritage Month so we’re sharing again our article written by DE&I manager Carly about the occasion to celebrate South Asian heritage. Give it a read now!
This August sees the end of the third annual South Asian Heritage Month, which ran from 18th July to 17th August here in the UK. We are taking this opportunity to celebrate South Asian Heritage and raise awareness of South Asian history, arts and culture.
South Asia is a small group of countries that accounts for a huge proportion of the world’s population; almost two billion people, or around one quarter (25%) of the inhabitants on Earth. However, this number does not include the thousands of people with South Asian heritage that live outside of South Asia. We have strong shared ties with numerous South Asian countries, cultures, and peoples here in the UK. Sadly, much of these links can be traced back to the forced occupation, colonisation, and exploitation of the sub-continent by the British Empire, which left indelible marks on people’s lives, and continues to affect South Asian people in the region and in the UK today.
South Asia includes the following eight countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
As you might expect, while there may be some similarities between the region’s countries and cultures, there will be many differences in people’s everyday lives based on various factors such as locality, language, dialect, ethnicity, religion, values, diet, work, hobbies, family, friends, and so on. It is important we recognise South Asia as a whole, but also acknowledge the vast diversity of people and cultures that make up the region and each individual country.
Afghanistan is the top of our list alphabetically, and much like the other countries on our list has a rich culture dating back hundreds of years, as one of the main stops on the silk road transporting goods and people across Europe and Asia.
Afghanistan is a multi-ethnic country, with people identifying as Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, and Uzbek amongst many other ethnic identities. Kabul is currently regarded as the capital, but Herāt has long been a seat of cultural importance, with influential artistic, literary and scholarly figures taking up residence there over the past few centuries. Due to recent conflicts in the region preserving arts and culture is of increasing importance, as the Taliban seek to destroy significant artefacts. The Afghan Visual Arts and History (AVAH) Collective are actively seeking knowledge, stories, and work with Afghan and Afghan-diasporic themes to create an index of current and historical art and literary works. Miilkiina has joined with the AVAH collective to produce a list of ‘10 Afghan Artists to Know’ – check out the artists here > https://avah.info
Bangladesh also has a diverse culture, which is reflected in the county’s dance, music, arts, and architecture. The three main religions of the Bengali people are Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam, which influence much of the region’s cultural identity. Traditional folk dances are very popular and can form an important part of social gatherings. Chhau and Dak dancers incorporate daily activities into their movements, such as harvesting, fishing, and combat. The traditional dress is often mesmerizingly colourful and elaborate. The accompanying folk music is equally exciting, with crashing drums and whirling pipes encouraging the dancers on as they act out local legends or folklore. If you’d like to see examples of such dances, you can see some here > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojkj37wzOnc
Bhutan is the second smallest nation on our list, with a population of roughly 790,000 people, the majority of which ethnically identify as Bhutia, Nepalese or Sharchop, three quarters of whom practice Buddhism. The core tenets of Buddhism are enshrined in the country’s laws, making it illegal to hunt, fish, smoke or climb the mountains where spirits live. The preservation of the natural world and the happiness of the people are the Bhutanese leadership’s primary goals. Nestled against the eastern part of the Himalayas, Bhutan is covered in steep mountains, deep valleys, mature growth woodland and numerous monasteries. Many traditional villages and festivals are actively preserved such as the Rhododendron Festival, Nomads Festival and Matsutake Mushroom Festival. Why not try making the Bhutanese national dish that is traditionally served at these festivals? Ema Dashti – a spicy cheesy chilli. https://pikturenama.com/how-to-cook-ema-datshi-the-national-dish-of-bhutan/
India is by far the largest nation on our list, in terms of population and land mass. Due to its size and prominent position along numerous trade routes, the country is ethnically and religiously diverse. Home to multiple languages, thousands of small tribal and ethnic groups and at least eight main religions including Sikhim, Buddhism and Islam; with many people following sub-sects of these religions, and the majority practicing Hinduism. Despite many differences in the region, much of the cultural heritage is unified through shared traditional practices and religious rites. Festivals and holidays are numerous, with the biggest and most popular being Holi, Dussehra and Diwali. Each festival is celebrated by thousands of people by throwing paint (Holi), lighting lanterns (Dussehra), or creating rangoli (Diwali). Rangoli is a decorative art form drawn on the ground with colourful powders made from everyday materials. Here are some Rangoli designs you can draw, colour or make at home > http://www.getcoloringpages.com/diwali-rangoli-coloring-pages
Maldives is the smallest nation on our list, both by land mass and population, with only 550,000 people spread across up to 200 of 1200 islands. The name Maldives is suspected to have its origins in Sanskrit (Maladvipa), which may mean ‘one thousand islands’. But the origins of the nation’s people are somewhat a mystery, though there is a long-documented history of the area being a cultural melting pot of African, Arabian and South Asian peoples, due to its position along multiple maritime routes. The Maldives seems to have been home to Hindus and Buddhists before the nation adopted Islam as its state religion. As well as a melting pot of people, the Maldives cuisine is an eclectic mix flavours from east and west, predominately featuring fresh fish, vegetables and tubers. Despite external influence, the Maldives developed its own rich arts, crafts and cultural heritage based in the roots of island-living. Much of the arts and crafts in the Maldives feature natural products such as palm leaves, shells, wood, stones, coral and reed for the purpose of weaving, ropemaking and lacquer work. To watch some of these skilled crafts people in action head over to this site to see videos featuring local Maldives people https://cruisingmaldives.blog/2017/02/03/maldives-arts-crafts-traditions/
Nepal is famously home to Mt. Everest and the main staging areas for climbing the numerous mountains in the west of the Himalayas. And though much attention is given to Western climbers, many of the achievements would not be possible without the Sherpas that support them and, in many cases, achieve the same records as Western Climbers but are often not mentioned. A staggering record recently accomplished by an all-Nepalese team saw them summit 14 of the highest peaks in the world, led by Nims Purja; there’s a documentary – you should watch it! The Sherpa are one of many ethnic groups that make-up Nepalese people, alongside the Chhetri, Bahun, Magarand, Tharu, Tamang, and Newar, amongst others. Each group has their own traditions, religions, and dialects. Inevitably the art and culture of the country is heavily influenced by all these factors and the frequent natural disasters caused by earthquakes in the region. The country’s architecture is arguably the most stunning example of Nepalese craft, with numerous temples and monasteries featuring wonderous carvings and intricate details that have, remarkably, withstood hundreds of years of violent earthquakes. Several of these buildings are UNESCO World Heritage Sites; to read about them head to this site that features the UNESCO list > https://www.adventurehimalayacircuit.com/blog/top-10-unesco-world-heritage-sites-in-nepal/
Pakistan has long been the place where Central Asian culture meets South Asian culture, having a history dating back over 8000 years. The country is majority Muslim with small Hindu and Christian minorities, and is home to at least six ethnic groups, Punjab, Pashtun, Sindhi, Seraiki, Muhajir, Balochi, Chitrali. There are estimated to be over 70 languages spoken in Pakistan, with the national language being Urdu. Islam has the strongest influence on culture, but the diverse make-up of the country means each group or area has its own customs and traditions that influence art, music, dance, and literature. A popular form of art is utilising calligraphy in Arabic script, as a standalone piece of art or an integral part of larger artworks. Some artists use calligraphy to create patterns and pictures of complex detail and others use abstract backgrounds to highlight the bold black strokes. Take a look at some of these artworks for yourself.
Sri Lanka, too, has seen many contributions to culture from external influencers by virtue of its position along an important maritime trade route. Today, the population consists of Sinhalese, Sri Lankan Moor, Indian Tamil and Sri Lankan Tamil people. Religion is the main contributor to Sri Lanka’s cultural identity, with Hindu, Muslim and Christian traditions being followed by up to one third of the population. However, most people follow Buddhist traditions, of which Sri Lanka has a long history, dating back many centuries. This religious cultural heritage is reflected in the island nation’s architecture, with ornate temples, mosques and churches being a common sight in the varied landscape. Many Buddhist temples and stupas are home to intricate carvings, paintings and statues, preserved over centuries. Check out these amazing pictures of the Dambulla Cave Temples, set into an overhanging rock in the middle of the island.
As you can see, South Asia is extremely diverse with influences from multiple religions, traditions, values, and culture. It is important that we recognise this same diversity of South Asian people in the UK. Understanding and representing diverse cultures, especially in media, is important, so we can avoid ‘clumping’ people together into stereotypes and erroneously making assumptions about people’s characteristics or lives. It is also crucial to reflect on what it means to be South Asian in the UK, or what it means to be British Asian; as one’s family values, heritage, and culture are built into one’s identity; and it is not easy to reconcile all these parts if they are (potentially) in conflict. To give you some idea of what this means to some South Asian people, why not listen to this piece from the BBC Radio Asian Network – Being British Asian: Who do we think we are? CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE
As an organisation we are committed to raising awareness of the multitude of unique and diverse lives of people in the UK. We want to reduce the barriers for individuals and communities to access mental health and wellbeing services, especially for those with minoritised identities, while (hopefully) contributing to the discussion on social justice in our society. Therefore, it is important to write pieces such as this, to educate and familiarise everyone with the various aspects of other people’s lives and to celebrate these differences in positive, productive ways. Unfortunately, for this piece, this means that I am put in an undesirable position – as a white British person, writing about South Asian culture, using sources that are predominately white-biased. On this occasion, we were unable to find people with South Asian heritage to author an article because our last-minute deadline. But this is no excuse. We want to provide opportunities for people to share their stories, write pieces that are important to them, and raise awareness of issues that may not get much attention. If you want to take part – by writing an article, making a suggestion, posting a comment in the next newsletter, or contributing in another way – please reach out.
References and More Information
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tenzing-Norgay https://www.britannica.com/place/Nepal/Government-and-society#ref23652 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nepal-ethnic-groups-map.jpg
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/pakistan/articles/13-things-you-should-know-about-pakistani-culture/
