Marathi Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

Maharashtra is a large state in western India that includes Mumbai, India's financial capital, and Pune, a centre of education and industry. Marathi, its language, is one of India's most widely spoken. Marathi families in Birmingham include doctors, engineers, IT professionals, academics and students.

The community in numbers

At the 2021 Census, out of a city population of 1,144,919, 186 residents gave Marathi 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.

Working for Birmingham

Members of the community work in the NHS, in engineering and manufacturing, in finance and in information technology, and several have brought skills from Mumbai's banks and Pune's engineering firms to Birmingham. Students from Maharashtra study at the city's universities, and many stay on to build careers here.

Healthcare, education and the skilled trades are three of the pillars of the city's economy. The NHS is one of Birmingham's biggest employers, its universities teach tens of thousands of students, and there is steady demand for electricians, plumbers, carpenters, decorators and handymen in every neighbourhood, alongside business, transport, hospitality, retail and the city's growing digital and creative industries. People from every background keep these sectors running, and the Marathi community shares in that effort.

Culture and community life

Ganesh Chaturthi, the festival of the elephant-headed god Ganesh, is the highlight of the Marathi year, along with Gudi Padwa, the new year in spring. Families gather for dishes such as puran poli, vada pav and modak, and cultural groups hold music, drama and language events for children growing up in Birmingham.

Like so many of the communities that make up modern Birmingham, the Marathi community shows how a city can be home to many cultures at once. Its members are proud of where they come from, and just as proud to be Brummies.