Anand Mela!
- navakallc
- Jul 29, 2024
- 3 min read
This summer, like every summer, Anand Mela was hosted in Redmond. It’s hosted every year by a temple called ISKCON. The temple, or mandir, as it’s called in Marathi is devoted to Lord Krishna. We started going since 2020, at first to check it out, and then for every Indian festival. They hold a ton of events, and they even have volunteering there. I used to go during covid times to help out with their prasad, which is the food they offer to the deities and then gets served to all the people who came to pray. A lot of kids my age and I served people the prasad.
I’ve been going to Anand Mela since last year and it’s always been a blast. My friends and I always do face painting, Mehndi (Henna) and make bracelets or pottery. There’s also a stage where they have a DJ who plays Indian songs and always gets us dancing. I’ve been dancing since I was 4 years old and done classical dance, kathak, for 4 years.
Even though I don’t go to classes now, I always keep up with the latest Indian dance trends and learn the hook steps of the most popular Bollywood songs. Dance has always been a part of me and I’m glad Anand Mela is one of the places my friends and I can go to dance and have fun. It reminds me of another fair my friends and I used to go to during the summer in Mumbai, India.
It was right in front of our neighborhood, and it was called street connect. There was food, dance, and tons of activities. Speaking of food, I love the food at Anand Mela, with the various amount of snacks, chaat, lassi, and street food. With the various stalls situates all around me, I go from place to place, trying to figure out the best combination of food, my eyes spinning as I take in the atmosphere, people eating, and the various amounts of colorful food. The tantalizing smell of the food wafts in the air as I try to pick what I want to eat, finally picking and sitting on nearby tables, taking in the vibe.
The Mela here reminds me of the memories and I’m glad to have an Indian event to go to with friends. Even though this is USA, I never felt like I was away from India, because I love my culture and love to celebrate it, and so do my friends. We always connect through our taste in Indian music, the most recent Bollywood movies, and definitely the food. This year I learned some bhangra steps as we were following the performances there.
The stage is amazing too, speakers blasting music as a live band sing on stage, music vibrating through the beats of everyone walking past the stage. It’s also at the heart of the event, leading people to be sing along and dance with the people on stage or clap along to the rhythm of the music.
Anand Mela is an event I look forward to each year, with the colorful atmosphere and vibrant food residing in my heart yearlong, making me smile. Looking at an event like this, I’m proud to be a part of my country and be a part of our amazing culture.
