Known as Manja in Punjabi and Khatia or Charpai in Hindi, this traditional Indian cradle was used by several generations of a family living in Ribbleton, Preston. It has a lightweight and portable design consisting of two 'A' frames joined by a cross bar from which the sling for the infant is suspended. This allows the cradle to be easily dismantled and carried, yet remain very sturdy. Decorated with garlands and bells, these painted cradles are often now used as the centrepiece for baby naming ceremonies.

Lancashire has a long history of welcoming peoples from around the world and in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries this has included Irish, Afro-Caribbean and South Asian migrants. All drawn to the county by the promise of work, the mid twentieth century arrival of peoples from the Indian sub-continent found opportunities mainly in the textile mills of Lancashire.

The Indian Independence Act of 1947 marked the end of the British Rahj and the creation of two self-governing countries: India and Pakistan. This is estimated to have displaced over 12 million people along religious lines and led to one of the largest migration of people in history.