South Asian Heritage Month

We first celebrated South Asian History Month in July 2020 to celebrate, mark and honour South Asian cultures and histories – particularly the intertwined histories of the UK and South Asian communities – and how South Asian cultures are present throughout the UK.

We now celebrate the more recognised South Asian Heritage Month (18 July to 17 August) in order to align ourselves with the wider national conversation around this event. We will use this month to celebrate the arts, culture and heritage of people with roots in the South Asian countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Our goal is to help people better understand the diversity of present-day Britain.

South Asian Heritage Month 2026

We kickstart our celebrations for South Asian Heritage Month 2026 by highlighting some fabulous resources.

  1. Journey to the Centre of the Self. This book by Rina Arya and former RCPsych President, Professor Dinesh Bhugra, explores the lived experiences of South Asian psychiatrists in the UK.
  2. Recorded as part of the inaugural Women's Mental Health in Bloom 24-hour Global Webathon we're delighted to share this three-hour session that includes speakers from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, amongst others, talking on a range of topics relating to women's mental health.

Previous years

Blog posts relating to South Asian Heritage Month