Mela! An Indian Fair on the National Mall provides a culturally appropriate setting for a variety of Indian ritual, performance, craft, commercial, aesthetic and culinary traditions. Presenting the skills of more than 60 folk artists, craftspeople and cultural specialists from India and the Indian-American community in a temporary bazaar replete with Indian handicrafts and cuisine, this program offers visitors a unique opportunity to experience and participate in Indian culture.

A meta, or Indian fair, is a large gathering of people who temporarily come together at a culturally appropriate time and place. Melas usually occur at the intersections of trade routes, river banks or confluences. The specific fair ground often has a rich history and is frequently associated with the deeds of a god, goddess or local hero. The time of the fair is set by the movements of sun, moon, planets and stars in accord with one of the various solar and lunar calendars which mark time in India.