The Young Diasporas Desk
Festivals, language, folktales and belonging — for the diaspora's next generation
At nine, Adrian Abraham is weeks from attempting the Trinity Grade 8 electric guitar exam — a pass would make him among the youngest ever, and the family has applied to Guinness for a world record. The British-Indian metalhead from Greater Manchester on Iron Maiden, A.R. Rahman, and the amplifier that makes his nerves disappear.
Kerala's great harvest festival falls on 26 August this year — the day a good king comes home. What Onam means, when its ten days run in 2026, and how to give it to a child growing up far from Kerala.
A festival with no temple, no idol and no priest — just a family, some water and the sun. Here is what Chhath means, when its four days fall in 2026, and how to give it to a child growing up a long way from any river.
