On 17 August, a nine-day celebration of arts and culture from all over the world opened in Belfast. The Mela is one of Northern Ireland’s largest festivals. It attracts thousands of visitors to enjoy events, including arts, circus, dance, fashion and music, as well as food. The word mela means a fair or festival in several South Asian languages, including Hindi and Urdu.
The celebrations began with Mela Carnival, a parade weaving through the city centre to Belfast City Hall. More than 800 people took part in the parade, including the Flying Dragon Dance Group, the South Asian Dance Academy, Afrikan Warriors acrobats and the Belfast Uke Band (“uke” is short for ukulele). Crowds gathered to enjoy the colourful floats and costumes as well as bhangra music and dragon dances.…