A beloved community event brought a taste of Indian Marathi culture to Eastleigh for the eleventh time yesterday as the annual Anand Mela festival returned to The Hilt. The event – run every year since 2015 – brought exotic street food and drinks to the town from 12pm to 3pm, boasting regional dishes not often available in local Indian restaurants. Prices for curries were capped at £7, as South of England Marathi Pariwar (SEMP) once again organised the festival on its 11th anniversary.
READ MORE: Two supermarkets evacuated as five fire engines attend alert call “It’s family recipes, special delicacies, veg and non veg curries, exotic drinks, desserts,” SEMP chairperson Dr Pooja Patwardhan told the Echo. Dr Pooja Patwardhan, chairperson of South of England Marathi Pariwar (SEMP). (Image: Newsquest) “Though it’s Indian food, it’s not the usual samosas you get in a usual restaurant.
“It’s a different taste but people just love it, and everyone year people ask us when we are planning it. It’s very heartwarming to see the support.” The event was held on Republic Day, a national holiday in India which celebrates the country’s independence.
The 11th edition of the festival brought tastes from Marathi cuisine. (Image: Newsquest) The two words that make up the name of the festival, anand and mela, translate to joy and fair respectively. READ MORE: Closures on Portswood Road 'will boost public transport' says bus boss “We just wanted to spread the love with.
