Namaste! On July 30th and 31sth, Redmond City Hall campus will play host to the tenth edition of Ananda Mela: Joyful Festival of India, presented to you by the Vedic Cultural Center (VCC) of Sammamish in collaboration with the City of Redmond. The founder and visionary leader of Ananda Mela, Harry Terhanian, and dozens of tireless volunteers of VCC have worked year-round to offer this beautiful festival to Redmond’s residents and visitors this weekend.

Ananda Mela aims to showcase Indian arts and culture with intricately crafted displays, entertainment on multiple stages, participatory activities and contests for everyone, informative and enlightening presentations, and other memorable experiences including tasty food and irresistible shopping. Festival grounds open at 12 noon. On the Ganga Stage and Yamuna Stage, you can witness and enjoy performances of a wide range of classical, folk, and popular dance and music traditions from different parts of India. 

The prime time performances occur between 6 pm and 9 pm on both days. Specific details of prime time performances will updated close to festival dates.

You will take delight in the extensive array of colorful visual treats and traditional decorations all around the ground. As well, you won’t want to miss this year’s special festival addition: a series of workshops and presentations on the theme of Live Healthy, Be Happy. Another must-have experience is the Vedic village, a model of a fully self-sustaining traditional Indian community. We have packaged a number of interesting items for you in Vedic Village, including processions, performances, cooking, astrology, garland making, face painting and many other displays and activities.

Ananda Mela is not complete without the plethora of participatory events and hands-on activities. Garland making, making your own spices, and walking with pots are just a few of the activities awaiting your involvement.  Cooking contest, chess contest and rangoli contest have been designed to engage you keenly.

And with delicious food from diverse regions of India, bouncies and clown shows for children, and other attractions, Ananda Mela is bound to be a pleasant, immersive, and memorable Indian experience for people of all ages and national origins.

Welcome to Ananda Mela!

Latha Sambamurti

Artistic, Outreach & Development Director, Ananda Mela