Meet Newport's growing Kerala community as they celebrate Onam

  • ITV Wales journalist Mike Griffiths went along to the Onam celebrations in Newport.

Hundreds of people from Newport's Kerala community have gathered this weekend to celebrate the harvest festival of Onam.

The community has grown greatly since the early 2000s, from just a handful of families to more than 1000 members in Newport alone.

The celebration involved a colourful performance of traditional music and dance. Credit: ITV Wales

Newport Kerala Community, an organisation set up to support and celebrate Kerala's cultural traditions in Newport, say many members have travelled from the southern Indian state to live and work in Wales.

"It has grown so fast," says Rio Johny, the organisation's Secretary.

"Covid is one of the reasons, where we had a shortage in healthcare, and most of our community members got an opportunity to serve this nation, so they came and they are doing their part as healthcare workers.

"That gave us an opportunity to settle down and become as a big community... Always looking as a community to deliver something best for the generations, something best for the Welsh [and] the UK."

Newport Kerala Community (NKC) aims to preserve and celebrate the community's culture and traditions. Credit: ITV Wales

This weekend's celebrations saw a packed schedule of music and dance at St Julian's School in Newport, with local Senedd Members and the new Health Secretary Jeremy Miles in attendance.

Food is another tradition that is an important part of the festival, with the vegetarian Sadya meal comprising of a rich variety of dishes served on a banana leaf.

A traditional Sadya lunch was served to attendees. Credit: ITV Wales

It is this type of tradition and heritage that Newport Kerala Community President Joshy Thomas wants to preserve, as well as celebrating the community's integration in Wales.

"We wanted to continue [that] our children learn, and they want to perform and they want to grow [in] confidence," says Joshy Thomas.

"In 2004 when I came to the UK, I never thought I'm going to survive.

"But now look where I am in 20 years time. I am part of the Welsh community. I'm a Welsh man now."

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