What is South Asian Heritage Month?
This month marks South Asian Heritage Month (SAHM), an annual celebration of the rich cultures, histories and contributions of South Asian communities in the UK and around the world. It is an opportunity to recognise the diversity and enduring impact of these communities, while honouring the people, traditions and stories that continue to enrich our society every day.
To honour SAHM, we are proud to launch our The Enduring Light campaign and introduce our traditional and heart-shaped handcrafted diyas. Created exclusively in partnership with bereaved mum and ceramic artist Shaheda, these unique diyas are shaped by the lived experience of pregnancy and baby loss.
What is a diya and what do they symbolise?
For thousands of years, before the arrival of electricity, the gentle glow of a diya illuminated homes, places of worship and communities across South Asia after sunset. Traditionally made from clay, diyas have long been used during festivals, prayers, ceremonies and moments of reflection by many communities, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists. Today, the diya remains a powerful symbol of light over darkness, hope over despair, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.
While rooted in South Asian heritage, the symbol of the diya is universal. Across many cultures and faiths, light is used to honour and remember loved ones, making the diya a meaningful keepsake for families of all backgrounds.
For bereaved parents, lighting a diya can be a simple yet meaningful way to honour a much-loved baby. Created with bereaved families in mind, the Sands Enduring Light diyas offer a lasting symbol of love, hope and connection. Although remembrance is at the heart of their design, they can also be lit during festivals or whenever families wish to feel close to the babies they carry in their hearts.
Before creating the final diya designs, bereaved mum and professional potter, Shaheda gathered feedback about the traditional and heart-shaped designs from our co-creation group of bereaved parents, facilitated by Madhuri, Sands' Outreach Coordinator for South Asian Communities.
Meet the bereaved parents whose feedback helped ensure that the final designs reflected the needs and experiences of bereaved families.
Made from high-fired ceramic, the designs have the thoughtful addition of a plate beneath the candle which allows the diya to be held close in both hands, offering comfort and connection as its gentle flame burns. With room for flowers, prayer beads, incense or other meaningful items, it offers families a personal way to honour their much-loved baby and the enduring love, memories and bond that remain long after loss.
Each diya is lovingly handcrafted by Shaheda who found support through Sands after the loss of her son Ibraheem, who was born at just over 18 weeks in January 2025.
“When Ibraheem was born, I was already in hospital because my waters had broken,” explains Shaheda, “losing him was the most devastating thing that's ever happened to me.
"Ibraheem was our second loss. In 2024 I lost a baby at 11 weeks, and when Ibraheem passed away it hit me like a brick."
Coming to terms with Ibraheem’s loss was so difficult as he was much loved and longed for. I was in bed for days, I wasn’t taking my medication, and I was just so desperate for my baby that I felt like every waking moment was unbearable. That was when I reached out to Sands and found their online support meetings for bereaved South Asian parents and families.
It was during the second South Asian online support meeting Shaheda attended that Madhuri asked her what she does for a living.
“I told her I make pottery,” shares Shaheda, “but after I had my son Noah, who was born in 2022, being a new mum was all consuming. I just couldn’t find the time or energy to make any pottery, but I would always look at my wheel in the corner of the room and miss using it. Then, after losing Ibraheem I was stuck in such a deep grief I didn't feel like I could do anything that brought me joy, including pottery. The pain was so intense that I could physically feel it in my chest and for a long time I didn't want to stop feeling that pain because it made me feel like I was closer to Ibraheem.
“Over the next few meetings I attended, Madhuri asked if I could make something called a diya for Sands Garden Day.
“I’d never heard of a diya before but one night about 2am my brain was ticking away, so I turned on my pottery wheel and made three little diyas. They came out perfect on the first go, almost like my rhythm had come back three and a half years after I last touched clay, and for those 30 minutes on the wheel I realised I felt a little bit like myself again.
“When I presented the diya to Madhuri, she tearfully told me it was beautiful, and during Sands Garden Day, I was mentioned during a wonderful speech. It brought me to tears because my baby was mentioned and Sands acknowledged how difficult it had been for me to pick up my clay again.
I’m so grateful to Sands for giving me the strength to do that and for asking me to help them, which in turn has helped me.
Shaheda says that making diyas has helped her own healing journey “1000%”.
“I searched daily for a way to navigate through my grief, desperately looking for ways to feel better,” explains Shaheda.
Pottery has been the most powerful tool in my healing. It’s become a therapy on days when I need a distraction to quiet the constant hum, to propel me forward and to give each day a purpose.
"Every minute spent with my hands in clay reminds me of this art that I love."
But “never in a million years” did Shaheda think she would be making pottery to support the baby loss community,
“Making that first diya spiritually centred me back into who I was,” says Shaheda, “and that’s the feeling I hope all other mothers and fathers will get when they hold their diya too.
“I hope they’ll know they’re holding something unique that's been made by a bereaved mother who has poured all her love into it and when they light their candle I hope they find it gives them hope over despair.
Each time I put my hands on a diya I don't just think about Ibraheem. I think about all the babies who are loved and missed. I pour all the love that I feel for my baby into that clay, thinking about all the parents who have lost a baby, how they feel, how I felt when I lost my baby and what I needed when I lost him. Each diya is made with all of my heart and with the love of a mother’s hands.
“I put a lot of hope into each ball of clay too, hoping and wishing that it comes out really beautiful, that it lasts a long time and that every time a parent looks at it, it helps them to feel close to their baby.
“I can’t wait until people physically have our diyas in their homes to hold and light to remember their babies.”
Each diya takes up to ten weeks to make from shaping and drying through to sealing and firing.
“Like everyone’s experience of pregnancy or baby loss, no two diyas are ever the same,” shares Shaheda “but I think that's beautiful. I value the uniqueness of each piece.”
How to order your Enduring Light diya
If you would like to order a Sands diya, you can now pre-order yours via the Sands Shop.
Each diya is carefully packaged and includes cotton wicks and usage instructions. You can find out more information about our diyas and all the different ways they can be used on our The Enduring Light diya page.