Out of India: A subcontinents influence on London

Out of India, a new display at the Museum of London, highlights the impact of the culture of the Indian subcontinent on London, and the contributions made by people of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi descent, who settled in the capital.

London, May 9 : Out of India, a new display at the Museum of London, highlights the impact of the culture of the Indian subcontinent on London, and the contributions made by people of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi descent, who settled in the capital.

It marks the 60th anniversary of Indian Independence, and the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan.

From food to fashion, politics to sport, spirituality to cinema, Out of India unravels the subcontinent's ever developing relationship with London, bringing together photographs, textiles, objects and oral histories to celebrate an extraordinary and ongoing tale of cultural influence on life in the capital.

Celebrate Indian cooking's ascension to a staple of the city's gastronomic scene, and the London stories behind familiar labels, like Sharwoods and Pataks. See Indian Princes at high society balls in the fin-de-siecle city, and Princesses campaigning with the suffragette movement for women's right to vote.

Explore the diverse religious celebrations that have become part of London's cultural fabric and discover how the Bollywood phenomena sang and danced its way its way into London cinemas from the early 1970s, billboarding the suburbs with the colourful artistry of its film posters.

The display casts an eye over the long history of Indian representation in political life, from Dadabhai Naorji, MP for Finsbury Central in 1892, to the first Zoroastrian Parsi to take a seat sit in the House of Lords in July last year, Lord Bilimoria.

The major political figures of 1947, Ghandi, Nehru and Jinnah, all trod the London political stage, and in this anniversary year, Out of India looks back to the empire they fought. The London-based East India Company determined trade with the subcontinent.

Muslins, silks and Kashmiri shawls bear testimony to influence and, in the case of the Paisley pattern, dilution, of Indian design passing through the docks into the homes of 18th century Londoners.

Francis Marshall, the curator of the exhibition, said: "The people and cultures of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have had a truly significant influence on London. This display attempts to reveal how this has come about.

Eating habits are well known, but others, like the involvement in the Suffragette movement are much less familiar. Out of India offers an opportunity to celebrate and explore this important aspect of London's history."

A wide range of exciting events accompany the exhibition and are being held at both Museum of London and Museum in Docklands.

The year 2007 will see India take centre-stage in London as the British capital celebrates the influence of Indian culture across London's creative, commercial and entertainment industries.

July will herald the launch of the 'India Now' season, a three month long celebration offering Londoners and its visitors the opportunity to experience a series of festivities and exhibitions dedicated to Indian art, film, theatre, fashion and food.

Later in the year, the Mayor of London will also embark upon an official trip to India to strengthen relations between London and India as international partners in globalization.

From March 2007 to Summer 2009, the museum will be redeveloping its lower galleries to retell the story of London and Londoners from 1666 to the present day.

The 18 million pound project, which is the largest the museum has seen since opening in 1976, will revitalize the galleries, open up 25 percent more gallery space and create a glass frontage overlooking London Wall.

The new galleries will open in 2009 with significantly increased access to the museum's objects, both in the galleries and online, and will also include a new Clore Learning Centre, a theatre and the Sackler Hall containing an information zone and coffee point.

Throughout the redevelopment work, visitors will continue to be able to discover the city's many incarnations in the London before London, Roman London, and Medieval London galleries, together with London's Burning and a series of topical exhibitions.

A full programme of activities and events for all ages, bringing London's past and present to life, will continue.

ANI