Namaste! On July 29th and 30th, Redmond City Hall campus will play host to 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, free festival to Redmond’s residents and visitors this weekend. Ananda Mela has been conducted annually since 2010.

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. Prime-time performances occur between 6:30 pm and 9 pm on both days. The entire schedule of performances on both stages is given on the Ananda Mela website.

You will take delight in the extensive array of colorful visual treats and traditional decorations all around the ground. Another must-have experience is the Vedic village, a model of a fully self-sustaining traditional Indian community.

Ananda Mela is not complete without the plethora of participatory events and hands-on activities. Making your own spices, clay modeling, balancing pots on the head, aromatherapy, cookie decoration, palmistry, face mask decoration, and henna are just a few of the many activities awaiting your involvement. 

Dance contests occurring with the prime-time events on both days are designed to involve you, as are several other contests. Naturally, attractive prizes are to be won at these contests.

And with delectable food from diverse regions of India, bouncies 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