Indian London

Indian people have made many remarkable contributions to the various aspects of

London life.

Today Indian descendents live right across the capital. They can be seen in areas like Brent, Ealing, Hounslow, Newham, Southall and parts of the East End. According to the 2001 census, just under 440,000 Londoners are Indian or of Indian descent, representing the capital’s largest minority ethnic group. Indian people have made their mark on many aspects of London life, participating in all levels of politics, business, medicine, law and culture.

Indian Food Indian cuisine is so popular in England that Chicken Tikka Masala has been considered as Britain's national dish. Indian food at Indian restaurants in London tends to be a representation of the curries you would eat in India. Indian food fans should head to Brick Lane, also known as the Curry Mile. There isn't a high street in the entire city (or country) which doesn't have at least one 'Indian' restaurant on it. 

Indian sweets

Religious Groups

The largest Hindu temple outside of India, the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, is located in Neasden, London. The number of Hindus in London is around 450,000, of which most are of Indian descent.

Hinduism

London is beside Toronto in the largest and wealthiest Sikh community outside of India. Sikhs are the UK most successful ethnic group. They live mostly in West London, Southall being the heart of the community.

Sikhism

Around 20% of Indians in London are Muslims. They are a very successful community, much wealthier and better established than other Muslim groups in London, like the Somali or Bangladeshi community.

Islam

Did You Know?

The current Asian Rich List is made up of 300 Asian billionaires and millionaires in Britain, 187 of who live in London and the South East.

And the wealthiest person in Britain is Indian-born steel magnate, Lakshmi Mittal, whose net worth is valued at around £13bn.

The first Indian writer to publish a book in English was Sake Dean Mahomed (1759-1851). Sake Dean Mahomed was also the first to open an Indian restaurant and takeaway – the Hindustani Coffee House in 1809 in London's Portman Square. He went on to have an extraordinary and varied career, and became UK's first Indian celebrity.

Indian Neighbourhoods

Bustling with people who come here to buy everything from glittery fabrics to make bespoke salwar kameez to 24-carat gold jewellery to wear at Indian weddings, Green Street is almost like being in India. Dozens and dozens of food shops, sari shops, restaurants and cafes line the long, snaking street, and unlike other Indian neighbourhoods, the crowd is a real mixture of Muslims, Bangladeshis, Gujaratis, Punjabis, Sikhs, the local African-Caribbean community, and tourists from abroad. What's more, everything is very cheap.

Home to the capital's Punjabi, Sikh and Sindhi communities, Southall is as loud, bold, colourful and extroverted as a Bollywood movie. The main reason to visit the area is to eat in one of the many north Indian cafes that sell delicious samosas, curries and naans. Do try Southall's 2 signature dishes: naan kebabs (meaty kebabs wrapped in hot, freshly made naan breads with pickles and relishes), and makki di roti aur sarson ka saag (cornmeal flatbreads with mustard leaf curry) –  rustic, home-style Punjabi dishes that are widely available in the area, and rarely found elsewhere in London.

Southall, Middlesex

Indian Sport and Health

Ayurveda- an ancient medical treatise on the art of healing and prolonging life, sometimes regarded as a fifth Veda

Very popular in India, carom is a board game played by 2-4 players, and involves flicking stones in the 4 corners of the board. At this free session, held on Sundays between 10-5pm, you can have a game while sipping masala tea.

Carrom

a Hindu system of philosophy aiming at the mystical union of the self with the Supreme Being in a state of complete awareness and tranquillity through certain physical and mental exercises

Yoga

Indian Galleries and Museums

The British entertainment

industry

In recent times Indian culture has made an impact on the British entertainment industry. Western pop culture has borrowed musical elements from Bollywood films such as Missy Elliott's music video  "Ching-A-Ling" where dancers dressed in colorful Harajuku street style, combine a hint of Indian influenced Bollywood-style movement.

Johnny Khalsi, was one of the musicians that teamed up to inspire the UK to become involved with Beat This, part of BBC Music Live..

Actresses, Meera Syal and Nina Wadia

Indian Shopping

Artists

Anish Kapoor, Sculptor

DancersShobna Gulati

Jasmine Simhalan, Also Martial Artist

Madhu Singh, dancer; member of Signature; runner-up on Britain's Got Talent 2008.

Businesspeople

Anurag Dikshit, Billionaire co-founder of PartyGaming Vikrant Bhargava, Entrepreneur - former Group Marketing Director of PartyGaming Firoz Kassam, Former owner of Oxford United F.C. Nina Bracewell-Smith, Non-executive director of Arsenal F.C. Lakshmi Mittal, Billionaire Industrialist Hindujas, A Family of multi Billionaire Business people. Jatania brothers, Mega Millionaire brothers who run one of England's oldest toiletries and cosmetics brands [1]. Tom Singh, Founder of the New Look Avtar Lit, Founder Sunrise Radio. Karan Bilimoria, Founder Cobra Beer Gulu Lalvani, Founder and Chairman of Binatone, the world’s second largest manufacturer of digital cordless phones. Gulam Noon, Founder of food product companies specialising in Indian cuisine Jamal Hirani, Founder of Tiffinbites, an Indian restaurant chain [2]. LORD Vic Sethi, President and Founder Hyundai Corp. Electronics. Neetu Sharma, Lloyds Register of Shipping

JournalistsSunny Hundal Hari Kunzru Kamala Markandaya Sangita Myska Anita Rani Pallab Ghosh Shiulie Ghosh

MedicineDr.Heenal Raichura, MBBS,BSc. - Britain's Youngest medical student at 16 (2002) and the Youngest Doctor at 22 (2008) Sake Dean Mahomet

Political figuresManjula Sood, Lord Mayor of Leicester Claude Moraes, Member of European Parliament representing the Labour Party in London Dadabhai Naoroji, MP Mancherjee Bhownagree, MP Shapurji Saklatvala, MP Keith Vaz, MP Piara Khabra, MP Niranjan Deva, MP Virendra Sharma, MP Parmjit Dhanda, MP Swaraj Paul, MP Parmjit Singh Gill, MP Lord Desai, House of Lords Baron Alli, House of Lords Baron Bilimoria, House of Lords Baron Dholakia, House of Lords Baroness Vadera, House of Lords, Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. Harpal Brar, Communist politican and writer Rajani Palme Dutt, Leading figure in the Communist Party of Great Britain Ramesh Kallidai, Secretary General of the Hindu Forum of Britain Atma Singh, Policy Advisor Udham Singh, Indian Independence activist

MusicAmar, Singer Freddie Mercury, Lead Singer of Queen (Band) Apache Indian, Singer, Songwriter Reena Bhardwaj, Singer Sheila Chandra, Singer DCS, Bhangra band DJ Kayper, DJ Jay Sean, Singer Dr Zeus, Music Director Juggy D, Bhangra Singer Johnny Kalsi, Dhol Drummer Anya Lahiri, Singer Mentor Kolektiv, Bhangra Group Daljit Neer, Founder of Neer Productions DJ Nihal, DJ Nerina Pallot, Singer Bally Sagoo, DJ Nitin Sawhney, Musician, Producer and Composer Ms Scandalous, Bhangra/ Rap Artist S-Endz, Rapper Anoushka Shankar, Sitar Player Sukshinder Shinda, Bhangra Producer and Artist Shri Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji, Composer DJ Swami, DJ, Producer, Guitarist

Writers

V.S. Naipaul, Nobel Prize for Literature Salman Rushdie, Novelist and winner of Man Booker Prize Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, Playwright Shobna Gulati Pico Iyer, Novelist Venika Kingsland Edmund Kingsley Hari Kunzru, Novelist and Journalist Manish Patel Simon Singh, author Kamala Markandaya, Novelist Jamila Massey Raman Mundair, Poet Preethi Nair Saira Shah Navjot Singh (Author), Author of Books on China Meera Syal, Comedian, Actress