Indian Diaspora: Communities, Traditions, and Global Roots

When people talk about the Indian diaspora, the global community of people with roots in India who live outside the country. Also known as overseas Indians, it includes millions who moved for work, education, or family — and still hold onto their language, food, and rituals. This isn’t just about migration. It’s about identity surviving across oceans.

The Tamil diaspora, a major branch of the Indian diaspora centered on speakers of the Tamil language from South India and Sri Lanka, is one of the most visible. From Singapore to South Africa, from Canada to the Caribbean, Tamils celebrate Thai Pongal, worship Murugan, and keep Thirukkural teachings alive in homes far from Madurai. Meanwhile, Hindu festivals abroad, like Diwali and Durga Puja, now light up city streets from London to Los Angeles. These aren’t just parties — they’re acts of cultural resistance and belonging. In places where Indian food is rare, families cook sambar and kheer not because they have to, but because it reminds them who they are.

What binds these communities isn’t just religion or language — it’s the quiet, daily choices. A grandmother teaching a grandchild to clap the tali rhythm. A teenager wearing a kurta to a school talent show. A temple in Melbourne built with stones shipped from Tamil Nadu. These aren’t nostalgia. They’re living traditions, passed down not in museums, but in kitchens, schools, and temple halls. The Indian cultural preservation, the active effort to maintain customs, arts, and values outside India happens because people choose it — every day, in small ways.

You’ll find stories here about how Diwali became a public holiday in parts of the U.S., how Gujarati families in Toronto still avoid chicken despite pressure to assimilate, and how Bharatanatyam dancers in Sydney train under teachers who learned from the same gurus in Chennai. You’ll see how the Indian diaspora isn’t one group — it’s dozens, each adapting, blending, and holding on in their own way. Whether you’re part of it, curious about it, or just wondering how culture survives far from home — this collection shows you the real, messy, beautiful truth.