Lok Virsa

"Lok virsa", meaning 'cultural voyage' is the culmination of a project, which has targeted Muslim communities' heritage in the West Midlands. This project has raised an awareness and understanding of the cultural heritage and legacy of diverse Muslim communities living in the West Midlands. A great cultural heritage influx from east to west and west to east is emerging from indigenous Muslim cultural heritage. Thus, it is important for Muslim communities to understand the differences in cultural heritage and how they can play a positive role in the success and progression of their own, while respecting others' heritage. The organisation has worked with a number of Muslim communities in the West Midlands by holding heritage training workshops, and by carrying out training to collect the primary source materials such as photographs, artefacts and stories, which have been used in this publication, a website and CD ROM. The stories of the role models who have influenced a great deal of cultural heritage in the West Midlands have also been used.Lok virsa has tried to transform the image of the diverse Muslim communities within other wider communities and to highlight the positive input and contribution of Muslim heritage to the lifestyle of Britain. Every community's past is central to their future. Every individual has their own specific heritage, historical roots and origins, which incorporates arts, sports, music, festivals, motifs and much more. Lok virsa has played a role in celebrating multiculturalism by strengthening links and developing a network between people. The culmination of the project is the "Lok Virsa" book which encompasses all the information and illustrations obtained during the project from the diverse Muslim communities now established in the West Midlands.