Welcome to May issue of Kashir Khabar: KPAE’s bite sized bulletin, to keep us all connected.
In This Issue
- Message from KPAE President
- Kheer Bhawani Havan
- KPAE Navreh Celebrations
- Community Updates
Message from President, KPAE
Namaskar Dear Biradari Members,
From Navreh last year to this year, we have come together across a wide range of meaningful and joyful events:
🏏 In May 2025, our KPL (Cricket Premier League) brought together children, women, and men in a spirit of fun and unity.
🔥 June saw our traditional Kheer Bhawani Havan, grounding us in devotion and shared heritage.
🚶♀️In September, our 10K fundraising walk raised over £1000, reflecting both generosity and purpose.
📽️ October featured a thoughtful screening of Sarvavyapak Gopinath Ji.
💃🏼 December’s Annual Miltchar brought festive joy and togetherness.
🕉️ In February 2026, we celebrated Herath with great श्रद्धा and enthusiasm.
🖼️March was particularly vibrant—with an enriching exploration of Kashmir and Hinduism through the V&A collection, and
🏸our Annual Badminton Tournament welcoming over 80 participants of all ages.
And most recently, Navreh in Birmingham (April 2026) saw over 80 attendees. What was especially moving was the presence of our senior members—many of whom have been in the UK for 30 to 50 years—alongside newer members. For me, that coming together across generations was the true highlight.
Alongside these events, we have continued to invest in the cultural and spiritual fabric of our community:
- Monthly Bhagavad Gita classes for adults
- Weekly bhajan and shloka sessions
- Weekly Kashmiri and Hindi language classes
- Monthly Kashir Khabar – our community bulletin
In December 2025, we also launched our Dokh initiative, with the aim of strengthening our connections and supporting one another more meaningfully. As we often say, good parenting lies in giving our children both strong roots and wings—and through these efforts, we hope to nurture both.
Membership (only £10 a month by direct debit) remains the backbone of KPAE, enabling us to create such meaningful engagement and sustain our shared vision.
As we step into this new year, let us continue to build on this momentum—with humility, inclusivity, and a shared commitment to our heritage and each other. Our strength lies not just in our traditions, but in the connections we nurture and the support we extend—both in celebration and in moments of need.
Wishing you all a very happy, peaceful, and prosperous year ahead.
Warm regards,
Dr Sunny Kaul, President, KPAE
Upcoming Events
Kheer Bhawani Havan
Kheer Bhawani Havan
28th June, 10am – 5.30pm
Epsom
Jai Ragnya Mata. Join us for the annual Kheer Bhavani Havan. Experience bhajan, bhakti, prasad bhojan and cultural festivities in honour of Mata Ragyna Devi. This year’s theme is – Let noble thoughts come to us from all sides – Rigveda.
Please book your tickets (a ticket for everyone attending) so we have an estimate of numbers on the day.
On this auspicious occasion, if you’d like to make a small donation to Kashyap Bhawan, pls add that to your ticketing step.
Tickets are available here
Recent Events
Navreh Celebrations in UK and Europe
Navreh Celebrations Bring Joy and Connection in Birmingham
This year’s Navreh celebrations was another resounding succese, with over 80 people joining us in Birmingham.
The day began with the spiritual chants from our shloka session kids, and we moved to the melodious songs from Saurabh Zadoo ji (who joined us online from India), finally ending with a social Carrom and Turuf competition, which certainly got many flexing their skills!
Seeing many of our elders grace the occasion, was the biggest blessing and a reminder of why we do what we do – such moments of connection are what our events are all about.
Navreh Celebrations Bring Kashmiri Pandits Across Europe Together in the Netherlands
In a heartwarming celebration of culture, tradition, and community, Kashmiri Pandits living across Europe gathered in the Netherlands from April 3rd to April 5th to celebrate Navreh, the Kashmiri New Year. The three-day event brought together around 27 families, including elderly parents and young children, creating a vibrant atmosphere filled with nostalgia, unity, and cultural pride.
The festivities began with a traditional Kashmiri potluck, where families shared authentic homemade delicacies that reflected the rich culinary heritage of Kashmir. The evening continued with a soulful baithak, featuring traditional Kashmiri songs that resonated deeply with attendees and set the tone for the days ahead.
On the second day, participants observed the ritual of Thaal Bharun, an important Navreh tradition symbolizing prosperity and new beginnings. Its cultural and spiritual significance was thoughtfully explained, ensuring that younger generations and those less familiar with the customs could connect with their roots.
A meaningful discussion followed, focusing on Kashmiri Pandit festivals and the challenges and opportunities of preserving these traditions while living far from their homeland. Participants exchanged ideas on how to keep their cultural identity alive and pass it on to future generations growing up in Europe.
The evening unfolded into a lively celebration themed around Kashmiri Manzeraat. The gathering came alive with traditional music, dance, and joyful participation from all age groups. Children added a special charm to the event with their performances, showcasing talent and enthusiasm while staying connected to their heritage.
Families from Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, UK and the Netherlands participated in the event, highlighting the strong bonds within the diaspora community across borders. The event was successfully organized by three dedicated community members (Dhurandars), Ratika Ganjoo, Akshay Koul and Anshuman Kaul along with a team of committed volunteers. Their efforts ensured a seamless experience that truly felt like “home away from home” for everyone present.
This Navreh meet was more than just a celebration, it was a reaffirmation of identity, a bridge between generations, and a reminder that no matter where they are in the world, the spirit of Kashmir continues to thrive in the hearts of its people.
Community Updates
TASRUFDAAR – A Review by Kapil Dhar
The movie falls in the genre of Long Shorts.
Kapil Mattoo sahab has successfully demonstrated excellent storytelling ability. He has captured Kashmir imbroglio through a very “matter of fact” humane prism. There is no blame and shame, only a story of friendship, betrayal, expectations and tragedies. The spiritual heritage and the traditional values of Kashmir are held high. What strikes the audience is there is no attempt to reason out anything and no attempt to answer anything, only pure ruthless honesty in storytelling.
The stories live beyond lives, they come back through Karma and they go across the generations, blood lines and relationships.
Most of the audience strikes a personal note with the different dimensions of the script – dialogues, anecdotes and a little humour too. I had at least two instances of where the story came close to my personal experience through the Kashmir situation across the years.
Strongly recommended for all, especially people who have experienced Kashmir closely.
Karmic Cage of Dotage by Dr Jeewan Rawal
Dr Rawal is an experienced General Paediatrician with special interest in neonatology, respiratory, cardiology, neurology and rheumatology.
A singer, a painter, his love for the arts is also exemplary.
Here he paints this abstract which represents very old age – an age of abandonment, loneliness and isolation.
The inspiration came from when he saw an old man, bent, dragging a trolley on side road and then he saw a similar picture with an older lady.
Beyond Conflict and Paradise: The Stories Woven into Kashmiri Pashmina
Karishma Dar invites us to move beyond reductive narratives of paradise and conflict, encountering Kashmir in its full complexity, in the first ever article by British Asian Collective. Read it here.
Trust Care Award
Our President Dr Sundeep Kaul, clinical lead Lung Division, consultant in intensive care and respiratory medicine, Harefield Hospital recently received this award, following a nomination by an individual who received exceptional care from him. Those of us who know him, know how fortunate we are to have him as a community Icon!
Happy Family News
Congratulations to the Dr Mohan Kaul and Anju aunty on the joyful arrival of their new grandchild, Uma.
Warm congratulations are also due to Rajesh ji and Veena ji Sadhu on the birth of their grandson.
We wish both families much happiness and many treasured moments ahead.
Spotlight on Business
Greater London Financial Services Ltd
As part of us profiling the businesses on our platform this month we focus on services offered by Sandeep Lahori ji. Sandeep ji is a longstanding and respected member of the community.
Sandeep ji is an independent mortgage and insurance advisor with access to whole of the market – over 130 lenders ranging from high street banks to specialist lenders. Once a new deal has been secured, he will keep on tracking all the way till completion should a new cheaper deal become available later on. So you can trust him, tension free!
Contact him via the link.
Stay Connected
Are you following us on Instagram and Facebook?
Across Instagram and Facebook, we have almost 11,000 followers, reaching between 400,000 and 500,000 views per month. If you’d like to help create content for KPAE pages, we’d love to hear from you!
Kashmiri Pandit Association of Europe (KPAE)
executives@kpae.co.uk