How to celebrate South Asian Heritage Month 2025
Ideas and resources for celebrating South Asian Heritage Month
See how a Rainbow unit in Orpington, South East London, celebrated with South Asian-inspired activities to mark the annual month-long event.
‘We wanted to celebrate South Asian Heritage Month because it’s a brilliant opportunity to introduce the girls to different cultures in a fun and engaging way, while encouraging them to be curious, respectful, and inclusive. The girls had great fun and learnt about different cultures through exploration of clothing, food, language, tradition and song.’ - Ayushi, assistant leader, 3rd Farnborough Rainbows.
Keep reading to find out more and to get ideas for how you can celebrate South Asian Heritage Month too - either at home or with your unit (a ‘unit’ is another word for Girlguiding group).
What is South Asian Heritage Month and when is it?
South Asian Heritage Month is an awareness month, hosted by the South Asian Heritage Trust, that commemorates and celebrates South Asian histories, cultures and communities. Today, the region of South Asia encompasses the countries Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, The Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The month runs annually on 18 July to 17 August, marking the dates in 1947 when India gained independence and the Radcliffe Line was introduced. The Radcliffe Line was a border that established Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh as separate nations.
There are more significant dates of independence for South Asian countries throughout the month. Including Maldives Independence Day on 26 July, Bhutan Independence Day on 8 August and Pakistani Independence Day on 15 August.
The month also coincides with the South Asian month of Saravan (also known as Sawan or Shravan). Saravan is the month of monsoons in South Asia, an important time which represents renewal and growth.
What’s the theme for 2025?
Every year, the South Asian Heritage Trust share a theme to mark the month. For 2025, the theme is ‘Roots to Routes’. It’s all about celebrating the deep heritage of people and places in South Asia and how it shapes millions of lives today. Everything from family and community to personal identity and traditions.
Learn more about this year's theme and download South Asian Heritage Month resources for 2025.
Check out how Orpington Rainbows are celebrating
Looking for ideas to celebrate South Asian Heritage Month? Here’s what Girlguiding members of 3rd Farnborough Rainbows are getting up to with their leaders.
Meet Ayushi Bhat, assistant leader
Assistant leader Ayushi Bhaut swapped her Girlguiding uniform for traditional Indian attire for the evening.
‘I’m originally from Karnataka in South India, and I wore a colourful lehenga with a matching bindi. My fellow leader, who is originally from Sri Lanka, wore a beautiful traditional sari.’ - Ayushi, assistant leader, 3rd Farnborough Rainbows.
A lehenga is a traditional outfit with an ankle-length skirt, blouse and dupatta which is a long piece of decorative fabric that can be worn as a long scarf, veil or shoulder wrap.
‘We have a mix of cultures in our unit, and it’s really special for the girls to see that everyone’s heritage is something to be proud of and shared. Events like this help to create an environment where all girls feel seen, empowered and celebrated. - Ayushi, assistant leader, 3rd Farnborough Rainbows.
Ayushi helped to organise an end of term celebration where girls learned how to wear saris, asked lots of questions, took part in South Asian-inspired activities and danced together to music they’d never heard before.
1. Giving yoga poses a go
As part of the evening of celebrations, Ayushi and her fellow leaders introduced girls to some simple yoga poses.
'Yoga has its roots in ancient India and is closely linked to my Hindu background; it’s something I grew up with, and it was lovely to share that in a calm, age-appropriate way. The girls practised poses like vrikshasana (the tree pose) and we spoke about the meaning of the Sanskrit word shanti, which means peace. They really embraced the idea of moving their bodies while thinking about stillness and kindness; it was such a lovely moment.’ - Ayushi, assistant leader, 3rd Farnborough Rainbows.
2. Colouring mehndi patterns
The girls loved colouring in mehndi patterns. This is a fun, free and printable resource you try for South Asian Heritage Month. Mehndi – also known as ‘henna’ which refers to the plant it's made from – is a form of temporary body art with beautiful patterns. It has deep cultural and religious significance for many South Asian communities and is often used to mark celebratory occasions.
Even if you can’t plan a full evening of celebrations as a busy volunteer, why not give this quick activity a go and teach girls about the meaning of mehndi as part of your next unit meeting?
3. Trying on saris
After colouring and testing their yoga skills girls also had fun trying on saris and learning how to wear them!
‘I loved learning about the different countries in South Asia, and especially how to tie a sari!’ - Rosie, Rainbow, aged 6.
4. Learning new languages
As well as learning words like ‘vrikshanana’ (tree pose) and ‘shanti’ (peace), Rainbows learned other words and phrases from different languages from across South Asia, including Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi and Sinhalese.
5. Tasting new foods
To top it all off, the Rainbows combined the celebrations with a picnic, featuring tasty samosas for a chance to try new foods.
More ideas and resources for South Asian Heritage Month
- Tasty treats interest badge for Rainbows. You could put a twist on earning this badge by encouraging girls to experiment with foods from a different culture.
- Celebrations interest badge for Brownies. Girls get to learn about celebration from around the world and host one themselves!
- Artist interest badge for Guides. Let the world see your inner artist. Why not explore artists from a different country or try your hand traditional techniques like drawing mehndi patterns?
- Guiding world interest badge for Rangers. Explore your place in the global guiding movement. What will you learn from around the globe?
An end of term celebration to remember
Thank you to Ayushi, Peheli and their fellow leaders for hosting such a memorable celebration for South Asian Heritage Month this year.
‘Girlguiding is very much for all girls and these sorts of celebrations help to reflect the diversity of our communities. They teach girls to value difference and embrace all the things that make us unique, which is precisely what Girlguiding stands for.’ - Ayushi, assistant leader, 3rd Farnborough Rainbows.
Want to bring the same joy and fresh experiences to girls’ lives like Ayushi and Peheli do? Register your interest to volunteer today.