Malayali Hindu Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

Kerala is famous for its temples, including Sabarimala and Guruvayur, and for classical arts such as Kathakali and Mohiniyattam. Malayali Hindus in Birmingham include nurses, doctors, IT professionals, engineers and students, many of whom have arrived in the last two decades.

The community in numbers

At the 2021 Census, out of a city population of 1,144,919, 1,156 residents gave Malayalam as their main language. Main language figures leave out the many bilingual residents who use English day to day, so the number who speak the language at home is higher still. The census does not publish a Birmingham breakdown of Malayalam speakers by religion, and the community includes Christian, Hindu and Muslim families.

Working for Birmingham

Malayali Hindu nurses, doctors and carers serve patients across Birmingham, and many work in IT, engineering, finance and research. Cultural associations support new arrivals and organise community events.

The city's future rests on the same things as its past: skills, enterprise and people willing to put in the hours. Whether in a hospital, a classroom, a lecture theatre, a van full of tools or a shop on a busy high street, Malayali Hindu residents are helping to build that future, and to make Birmingham a stronger, fairer and more welcoming city.

Culture and community life

Onam, the harvest festival, is celebrated with a grand vegetarian feast called sadya, served on banana leaves, and pookalam flower carpets. Vishu, the Kerala new year in April, begins with the vishukkani, an arrangement of auspicious items. Kathakali and Mohiniyattam are taught to children.

In a city where scores of languages are spoken, the Malayali Hindu community adds another voice to the conversation. Its members, old and new, are helping to make Birmingham the confident, outward-looking city it wants to be.