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For the Roman geographer, see Pomponius Mela.

For Mela Festivals today, see Mela Festival.

For the Bollywood movie, see Mela.

Mela is a Sanskrit word meaning get together. In Hindi and Urdu it refers to a rural or a village fair. It is fairly common in rural India.

In modern usage in the United Kingdom it has become a term for a multicultural (though mainly Asian) festival incorporating music, dance, food and other aspects of British Asian culture in the UK.

Melas regularly are held in larger towns in the UK, especially in areas with large ethnic minority populations. They are often considered important as a way of improving relations between the "indigenous" (white) UK population and the Asian population. The Melas began in the 1990s.

Public money is sometimes available for these festivals. They have also been seen as a way of ensuring that festivals are available for the whole population. (The Arts Council produced a study on this examining eleven festivals in the Leicester region).

The Mela Festival Networkwas the first organisation to bring Mela organisations together from around the world.

It still remains at the forefront of development and continues to champion Mela, introducing Mela Festivals to an ever expanding audience.

The European Mela Network is an organisation which seeks to promote mela activities and provide support for mela organisers across Europe.

Mela, first name. Mela Tenenbaum

• UK Summer 2007 Mela Guide
• What's On, Mela News, Listings and Mela Festival Information.
• BBC list of UK Melas in 2004
• The European Mela Network provides information about mela festivals and mela activities across Europe

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Mela is derived from Sanskrit, meaning coming together. The term is used for gatherings organised in Indian towns and villages.