Mela

Mela (Sanskrit: मेला) is a Sanskrit word meaning 'gathering' or 'to meet' or a fair. It is used in the Indian subcontinent for all sizes of gatherings and can be religious, commercial, cultural or sport-related. In rural traditions melas or village fairs were (and in some cases still are) of great importance. This led to their export around the world by south Asian diaspora communities wishing to bring something of that tradition to their new countries.