Generated by Rank Math SEO, this is an llms.txt file designed to help LLMs better understand and index this website.

# Lohana Community of United Kingdom

## Sitemaps
- [XML Sitemap](https://lcuk.org.uk/sitemap_index.xml): Includes all crawlable and indexable pages.

## Posts
- [Navratri 2026 across the Mahajans](https://lcuk.org.uk/navratri-2026-across-the-mahajans/): Navratri runs from Sunday 11 to Monday 19 October. Every Mahajan garba we know about, in one place.
- [Ek Maidan, the festival song](https://lcuk.org.uk/lohana-sports-festival-song/): Ek Maidan (Go Raghu Go), the song made for the 2026 Lohana Sports Festival, is on the website to play.
- [Festival Day 2026 in pictures](https://lcuk.org.uk/festival-day-2026-in-pictures/): Nearly three hundred photographs from Festival Day at Hertfordshire Sports Village are on the website.
- [North London lift the first Mahajan Shield](https://lcuk.org.uk/north-london-lift-the-first-mahajan-shield/): The 2026 Lohana Sports Festival is played, and North London are the first holders of the Mahajan Shield.

## Pages
- [Festival & Culture Magazine, Navratri and Diwali 2026](https://lcuk.org.uk/newsletter-october-2026/):    FESTIVAL & CULTUREMAGAZINEOCTOBER 2026LCUK Festival & Culture MagazineNavratri& DiwaliA special LCUK celebration of heritage, family and togetherness.Together we celebrate. Together we shine.Jai Shree Krishna,Navratri begins on Sunday 11 October and Diwali falls on Sunday 8 November. In this issue: the meaning behind both festivals, where our Mahajans are dancing garba this year, how to keep Diwali safe, and a message of thanks from our President.Inside this issue01NavratriThe meaning behind the nine nights02Celebrating Navratri togetherWhere the Mahajans are dancing garba this year03DiwaliThe Festival of Lights04A safer DiwaliFireworks and fire safety05A message of thanksFrom President Ashok Rach 01Navratri · Sunday 11 to Monday 19 OctoberNine nights of devotion, strength and renewalCelebrating devotion, culture, community and the victory of good over evil.Navratri means “nine nights” and is one of the most widely celebrated Hindu festivals. It is a time of prayer, reflection, music, dance and community. Across India and around the world, families and communities come together to honour the Divine Feminine and to celebrate the strength, courage and compassion represented by Goddess Durga.At its heart, Navratri reminds us that good can overcome evil and that light can overcome darkness. The festival encourages us to look within ourselves, strengthen our values and approach life with faith, humility and determination.Different regions celebrate Navratri in different ways. Some people observe fasting and prayer, while others gather for traditional Garba and Dandiya Raas. Homes, temples and community centres become places of colour, music and togetherness. Although customs may vary, the central message remains one of devotion, positivity and the triumph of righteousness.What do the nine nights represent?DevotionA time to deepen faith, prayer and spiritual awareness.StrengthA reminder of the courage and resilience represented by Goddess Durga.DisciplineFasting, prayer and mindful living can encourage self-control and reflection.CommunityCelebrations bring generations together and help keep traditions alive.RenewalNavratri offers an opportunity to leave behind negativity and begin again with hope.The joy of Garba and DandiyaGarba and Dandiya create a shared circle where everyone can take part, from young children to grandparents. The rhythm, the colourful clothing and the joyful atmosphere connect people to their heritage while creating new memories together.LCUK community spiritFestivals give us an opportunity to share our culture proudly, welcome others and build stronger community connections. 02Where to dance this NavratriCelebrating Navratri togetherOur Mahajans run the garbas, each in its own hall and its own way. LCUK has gathered every Mahajan’s plans on one page: dates, times, venues, prices and how to book. Five Mahajans have sent full details so far.North LondonSun 11 to Mon 19 Oct · from 8pmDhamecha Lohana Centre, South HarrowMon to Thu £5 · Fri to Sun, Aatham and Poonam £10 · season pass £60Tickets for LCNL members, bought in advance, not at the door.Details and booking →East LondonSun 11 to Tue 20 Oct · 8pm till lateColiseum Suite, IlfordAdults £6 to £12, children £3 to £6, infants free · season ticket £60Reserve tickets on Eventbrite. Parking £5 at Winston Way Primary School.Details and booking →South LondonSun 11 to Tue 20 OctP V Raichura Centre, CroydonTen nights of garba and raas. Ladies garba 14 Oct, kids garba 18 Oct.Times and prices still to come from LCSL.Details and booking →CoventrySun 11 to Mon 19 Oct · 7pm to 11pmCentre AT7, Bell Green RoadWeekdays £3 · weekends £5 · pass £10 · under 12s freeAatham on Sunday 18 October.Details and booking →CambridgeSun 11 to Mon 19 Oct · 6:45pm to 10:45pmThe Netherhall School, Queen Edith’s WayMembers free · students £5 · non-members £7With the Cambridge Hindu Association. Book an event pass at chauk.org.Details and booking →Find a garba near youAll sixteen Mahajans, the flyers and the special garbas, on lcuk.org.uk.Book these earlyLadies, children and Sharad PoonamSun 11 & 18 OctYLS Kids Garba, North London, ages 2 to 12, from 12pm. One date per family. Tickets went on sale on 3 and 4 October and may have sold out.Wed 14 OctLadies Garba Special, South London, P V Raichura Centre, Croydon.Sat 17 OctMahila Mandal Ladies Garba, North London, 11:30am to 5pm with faradi lunch. Adults £15.Sun 18 OctKids Garba Special, South London, P V Raichura Centre, Croydon.Sun 18 OctChildren’s Garba, East London, Coliseum Suite, Ilford, 2pm to 5pm. Children £10 including food, adults free.Thu 22 OctSharad Purnima Raas Garbas, LCNL Senior Ladies Centre, lunch from 12pm, raas garbas 1:30pm to 4:30pm. £15.Sat 24 OctSharad Poonam, North London with Rajvi Raja and Nikesh Parmar, and East London at the Coliseum Suite, Ilford.Can’t get to a garba?North London streams its Navratri live on lcnl.org every evening from 8pm, with aarti at around 9:30pm. One to share with grandparents and anyone housebound this year.03Diwali · Sunday 8 NovemberThe Festival of LightsDiwali is one of the most joyful and widely celebrated festivals in the Hindu calendar. Known as the Festival of Lights, it is associated with the victory of light over darkness, good over evil and hope over despair.For many families, Diwali is a time to clean and decorate the home, light diyas, make rangoli designs, prepare special food and sweets, exchange gifts, visit family and friends, and take part in prayers. The festival can also be a time to pause and be grateful for family, friendship, health and the opportunities ahead.Diwali has different stories and traditions across communities. One well-known tradition celebrates the return of Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana to Ayodhya after a long period away. Other traditions connect Diwali with Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Ganesha and other important religious and cultural stories. These traditions may differ, but the message of light, goodness and renewal is shared.Ways to celebrate the meaning of Diwali◆Light a diya as a symbol of hope and positivity.◆Spend meaningful time with family and friends.◆Share food, sweets or a thoughtful gift with someone who may be alone.◆Give thanks for the good things in your life.◆Support your local community and help those in need.◆Celebrate responsibly, with consideration for neighbours, children, older people and animals.SUN 8 NOVDiwali and Chopda PujanTUE 10 NOVBestu Varsh, New YearWED 11 NOVBhai BijMON 16 NOVJalaram JayantiEvery date in the LCUK cultural calendar →04Fireworks and fire safetyA safer DiwaliFireworks can be exciting. Safety comes first.A celebration is at its best when everyone gets home safely. Fireworks, sparklers and flames can cause serious burns, fires and injuries when they are used carelessly. Always follow the law and local safety guidance where you live.01Follow local rulesOnly use fireworks where they are legal and permitted. Check local restrictions before planning any display.02Keep a safe distanceNever hold fireworks in your hand unless the product is specifically designed for that purpose and local guidance allows it. Keep spectators well away.03Adults should superviseChildren should not handle fireworks. Young people should also be kept away from fireworks, lighters and matches.04Protect your homeKeep fireworks away from buildings, cars, dry grass, trees and anything that could catch fire.05Never return to a lit fireworkIf a firework does not work, do not approach it or try to relight it. Follow the manufacturer’s safety instructions.06Keep water nearbyHave a bucket of water, a hose or another suitable way of dealing with small fires ready where appropriate.07Think about pets and neighboursFireworks can frighten animals and disturb vulnerable people. Let neighbours know in advance where possible and keep pets indoors and secure.08Alcohol and fireworks do not mixDo not use fireworks while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Stay alert and responsible.The law in the UKFireworks must not be set off between 11pm and 7am. On Diwali night the cut-off is 1am. You cannot buy adult fireworks if you are under 18, and nobody may set off or throw fireworks, including sparklers, in the street or other public places. GOV.UK: Fireworks, the lawIn an emergencyMove to a safe place and call 999. Do not put yourself at risk trying to put out a large fire.A bright celebration is a safe celebration. 05From President Ashok RachA message of thanksTo our members, families, volunteers and friends of LCUK,It is my pleasure, on behalf of LCUK, to extend my warmest wishes to everyone celebrating Navratri and Diwali.These festivals remind us of the values that bring us together: faith, family, respect, kindness, courage and hope. Navratri teaches us about strength and the triumph of good over evil, while Diwali reminds us to bring light into our homes, our communities and the lives of others.I would like to thank everyone who gives their time, energy and enthusiasm to make our community celebrations possible. To our volunteers, organisers, performers, families, young people and supporters: your contribution helps keep our traditions alive and ensures that the next generation can experience the richness of our culture.I am especially grateful for the spirit of togetherness shown by our community. Whether you are helping behind the scenes, attending an event, welcoming a new family, supporting a friend or simply sharing a smile, every contribution matters.As we celebrate, let us remember those who may be alone, unwell or facing difficult circumstances. A small act of kindness can be a powerful light in someone’s life.On behalf of LCUK, I wish you and your families a very happy, peaceful and safe Navratri and Diwali. May your homes be filled with happiness, your hearts with hope, and the year ahead with health, success and togetherness.With warmest wishes,Ashok RachPresident, Lohana Community of United Kingdom  ·  07956 450895Celebrating our heritage, building our futureLCUK is proud to celebrate the traditions that connect us while creating opportunities for people of all ages to meet, learn, take part and support one another. May every festival bring our community closer.शुभ नवरात्रि • शुभ दीपावलीHappy Navratri • Happy DiwaliLOHANA COMMUNITY OF UNITED KINGDOMlcuk.org.uk  ·  Navratri 2026  ·  Cultural calendar  ·  Our mahajans  ·  Contact LCUK Festival & Culture Magazine, October 2026. More newsletters in the archive   
- [Home — Navratri 2026](https://lcuk.org.uk/): From Sunday, Lohana families across Britain gather for garba. We have put every Mahajan's Navratri plans in one place: dates, venues and how to book.
- [Navratri 2026 across the Mahajans](https://lcuk.org.uk/navratri-2026/): LCUK does not run a garba of its own. Our Mahajans do, from Croydon to Manchester. This page gathers what each one is doing this Navratri, so you can find the nearest garba and book directly with them.
- [Newsletter September 2026, after the festival](https://lcuk.org.uk/newsletter-september-2026/): Lohana Sports Festival 2026 · after the festival
- [Ek Maidan (Go Raghu Go), the festival song](https://lcuk.org.uk/festival-song/): The festival song · Lohana Sports Festival 2026
- [Festival Day 2026 in pictures](https://lcuk.org.uk/gallery/festival-day-2026/): The festival has finished
- [Venue and travel](https://lcuk.org.uk/lohana-sports-festival-venues/): The Lohana Sports Festival venues run from Harrow to Stanmore to Hatfield. Here's where it all happens and how to get there.
- [On the day](https://lcuk.org.uk/lohana-sports-festival-day/): The 2026 Lohana Sports Festival is done, and North London took the first Mahajan Shield. See the champions and the photographs from all three days. Here is how the Lohana Sports Festival day ran, hour by hour.
- [Sports and Formats](https://lcuk.org.uk/lohana-sports-festival-sports/): The festival has finished
- [Results](https://lcuk.org.uk/results/): All three days are done, and North London took the first Mahajan Shield. Relive Festival Day in nearly three hundred photographs. The full Lohana Sports Festival results are below, sport by sport.
- [Sponsor the Sports Festival](https://lcuk.org.uk/sponsor-the-lohana-sports-festival/): Every September, sixteen mahajans bring their families together, now across three days of sport and song. Around a thousand people pass through the doors. The businesses and families who sponsor the Lohana Sports Festival are the reason entry fees stay low enough that no family is priced out. See the 2026 results your support made possible.
- [Gallery](https://lcuk.org.uk/gallery/): The 2026 champions and runners-up are up, across pool, golf and Festival Day, with North London taking the first Mahajan Shield. Browse the full Lohana Sports Festival gallery below, three days of the festival in pictures, shot at Hertfordshire Sports Village, Stanmore and Harrow.
- [Newsletter Archive](https://lcuk.org.uk/newsletter-archive/): The newsletter archive holds every LCUK newsletter and eNewsletter published online, newest first. Since 2006 these issues have recorded community news, Mahajan updates, festival announcements and the cultural calendar, so the newsletter archive is also a running record of the UK Lohana community year by year.
- [Web Links](https://lcuk.org.uk/lohana-websites/): Lohana websites and Mahajans across the UK, a full list of Lohana websites and communities around the world, and the religious and cultural organisations we are connected with. These are independent websites — LCUK is not responsible for their content. Each opens in a new tab.
- [News](https://lcuk.org.uk/news/): Latest Insights and Updates Explore our recent articles on various topics of interest. See All Posts
- [Executive Committee & Trustees](https://lcuk.org.uk/executive-committee-trustees/): The Executive Committee runs LCUK day to day, carrying out the decisions of the Central Council and the wishes of the sixteen Mahajans. The committee shown above was elected at the 38th Annual Delegates Conference, held in Leicester in July 2026, and serves for the 2026 to 2027 tenure alongside the Board of Trustees.
- [Fee Payment — Sports Festival 2026](https://lcuk.org.uk/lohana-sports-festival-entry-fee/): Entries are closed, but unpaid entries still need settling. Payment confirms your place in the draw. Head to shop.lcuk.org.uk, find your events and check out. The Lohana Sports Festival entry fee is the same as last year. Unpaid entries don't enter the draws, so finish the job while the kettle's on.
- [FAQs — Sports Festival 2026](https://lcuk.org.uk/lohana-sports-festival-faqs/): Lohana Sports Festival FAQs: everything people asked us about the 2026 festival, answered here and grouped so you can find yours. Still stuck? Ring Nishit Kotak (PRO) on 07983 212402. These Lohana Sports Festival FAQs also cover the golf day, played under the World Handicap System.
- [Sport Leads and Contacts — Sports Festival 2026](https://lcuk.org.uk/registration-sports-festival-2026/): Lohana Sports Festival 2026
- [Sports Festival](https://lcuk.org.uk/sports-festival/): The Lohana Sports Festival has put sixteen mahajans on the same field since 2022. In 2026 the festival runs across three days: pool in Harrow on the 12th, golf at Stanmore on the 19th, and Festival Day at Hertfordshire Sports Village on the 20th, with seven sports and the first Mahajan Shield.
- [eNewsletter](https://lcuk.org.uk/enewsletter/): The LCUK eNewsletter has carried community news to Lohana families since 2006. It gathers what matters across the sixteen Mahajans into one short email: festival dates and results, Navratri and Diwali plans, bereavement notices, committee updates and the cultural calendar. The eNewsletter is free, and it takes about a minute to subscribe using the form on this page.
- [eDirectory](https://lcuk.org.uk/lohana-community-directory/): The Lohana community directory connects members and family businesses across the UK. Printed editions ran until 2011; the directory now lives online for members.
- [eBereavement](https://lcuk.org.uk/ebereavement/): When a family suffers a loss, the community stands with them. The eBereavement service shares bereavement notices with the wider UK Lohana community respectfully and promptly, so that prayers and support reach the family from every Mahajan.
- [Lohana Professionals Network](https://lcuk.org.uk/lohana-professionals-network/): The Lohana Professionals Network has connected members across business, medicine, law, finance and beyond since 2008. It exists to help Lohana professionals meet, share experience and support the next generation, drawing on the strength of a community that has always valued enterprise and education.
- [Governance](https://lcuk.org.uk/governance/): LCUK governance is built on three bodies working together. The Central Council is made up of representatives from all sixteen Mahajans and is where the whole community is heard. The Executive Committee runs the organisation day to day. The Board of Trustees holds it to account and safeguards its charitable purpose. Together they make sure LCUK acts for the community that elects it.
- [Contact LCUK](https://lcuk.org.uk/contact-lcuk/): There are several ways to contact LCUK, and every enquiry reaches a real person on the committee. The first point of contact for general enquiries is Sunilbhai Majithia, the LCUK Secretary General, who receives and manages the committee inbound communications. Use the enquiry form on this page and it reaches him, or call the officer above who is closest to your question.
- [Cultural Calendar 2026](https://lcuk.org.uk/cultural-calendar-2026/): The dates that gather the community each year, checked against the Vikram Samvat panchang for UK observance. Individual Mahajans hold their own celebrations — your local committee will have times and venues.
- [Our Mahajans](https://lcuk.org.uk/lohana-mahajans/): LCUK is the national body of all UK Lohana Mahajans. Sixteen member communities stretch from Manchester to Southend, each with its own hall, its own committee and its own character — and each sending representatives to the LCUK Central Council.
- [About LCUK & Our History](https://lcuk.org.uk/lohana-community-uk-history/): A short Lohana Community UK history: how sixteen local Mahajans came together as one national body in 1978, and what LCUK does for the community today.