मेला (melaa)

noun Mainly a noun meaning 'fair/festival gathering'; it also has a colloquial adjective-like use in the fixed phrase मेला लगना (melaa lagnaa) and a figurative extension meaning 'a huge crowd/gathering of things.'
Sense 1 : fair, festival gathering
noun, masculine
Synonyms: उत्सव (utsav, festival, broader meaning), जमघट (jamghat, gathering of people)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Think of the great fairs of North India: कुंभ मेला (kumbh melaa), the Pushkar cattle मेला (melaa), or the neighborhood मेला (melaa) that pops up during Dussehra or Diwali with Ferris wheels, jhumka stalls, and jalebi vendors. The word carries real festive warmth -- calling something a मेला (melaa) instantly evokes color, crowd, and noise, not a quiet event.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use मेला (melaa) for any 'event' the way English uses 'fair,' but in Hindi it specifically implies a large, often seasonal, public gathering with stalls, rides, or religious significance -- a small college 'fair' or trade exhibition is usually एग्ज़िबिशन (egzibishan) or प्रदर्शनी (pradarshnii) instead. 2) The verb that pairs naturally with मेला (melaa) is लगना (lagnaa) -- मेला लगा है (melaa lagaa hai, 'a fair is on/set up') -- not होना (honaa), which sounds off to native ears.
Sample Sentences:
हर साल दशहरे पर हमारे मोहल्ले में मेला लगता है। Every year during Dussehra, a fair is held in our neighborhood.
(har saal dashahre par hamaare mohalle men melaa lagtaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पिछले हफ्ते हम पुष्कर के मेले में गए थे। Last week we went to the Pushkar fair.
(pichhle haphte ham pushkar ke mele men gae the।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इस बार कुंभ मेला हरिद्वार में लग रहा है। This time the Kumbh fair is being held in Haridwar.
(is baar kumbh melaa haridvaar men lag rahaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
चलो, आज शाम मेला घूमने चलते हैं। Come on, let's go wander around the fair this evening.
(chalo, aaj shaam melaa ghoomne chalte hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
मेले में झूले, जलेबी की दुकानें और झुमके बेचने वाले सब कुछ था। At the fair there were Ferris wheels, jalebi stalls, and jhumka sellers -- everything.
(mele men jhoole, jalebii kii dukaanen aur jhumke bechne vaale sab kuchh thaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर बारिश न होती तो मेला और भी शानदार होता। If it hadn't rained, the fair would have been even more wonderful.
(agar baarish n hotii to melaa aur bhii shaandaar hotaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
मेला अगले हफ्ते शुरू होगा और महीने भर चलेगा। The fair will start next week and will run for a whole month.
(melaa agle haphte shuroo hogaa aur mahiine bhar chalegaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
जिला प्रशासन द्वारा मेले का उद्घाटन कल किया जाएगा। The fair's inauguration will be carried out by the district administration tomorrow.
(jilaa prashaasan dvaaraa mele kaa udghaatan kal kiyaa jaaegaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
काश हम भी उस मेले में पहुँच पाते, बहुत मज़ा आता। I wish we too could have made it to that fair, it would have been so much fun.
(kaash ham bhii us mele men pahunch paate, bahut mazaa aataa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
पशु मेले में किसान अपने बैल और भैंसें बेचने लाते हैं। At the cattle fair, farmers bring their bulls and buffaloes to sell.
(pashu mele men kisaan apne bail aur bhainsen bechne laate hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मेले की रौशनी और शोर दूर से ही सुनाई देने लगा था। The lights and noise of the fair had already started to be heard from far away.
(mele kii raushnii aur shor door se hii sunaaii dene lagaa thaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : figurative: a huge crowd or profusion of something
noun, masculine Used almost always in the fixed collocation मेला लगना (melaa lagnaa) to describe something metaphorically swarming, e.g. लोगों का मेला लग गया (logon kaa melaa lag gayaa, 'a huge crowd of people gathered').
Synonyms: भीड़ (bhiid, crowd, more neutral), ढेर (dher, heap/pile, for objects rather than people)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Delhi shopkeepers love this usage: सेल में तो लोगों का मेला लग गया था (sel men to logon kaa melaa lag gayaa thaa, 'the sale drew a huge crowd of people') -- it paints a mental picture of chaos and abundance borrowed straight from the literal fairground sense.
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative sense only works with लगना (lagnaa) -- you cannot say मेला होना (melaa honaa) here either; the fixed frame है/लगा है (lagaa hai) is what native speakers reach for.
Sample Sentences:
सेल में तो लोगों का मेला लग गया था। The sale drew a huge crowd of people.
(sel men to logon kaa melaa lag gayaa thaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
दिवाली की रात आसमान में तारों का मेला लगा हुआ था। On Diwali night, the sky was full of a sea of stars.
(divaalii kii raat aasmaan men taaron kaa melaa lagaa huaa thaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
जब भी कोई नई फिल्म आती है, सिनेमा हॉल के बाहर लोगों का मेला लग जाता है। Whenever a new film releases, a huge crowd gathers outside the cinema hall.
(jab bhii koii naii philm aatii hai, sinemaa hol ke baahar logon kaa melaa lag jaataa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
फ्री सामान बंटता देख वहाँ लोगों का मेला लग जाएगा, देख लेना। Once people see free stuff being handed out, a mob will swarm the place, just watch.
(phrii saamaan banttaa dekh vahaan logon kaa melaa lag jaaegaa, dekh lenaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
बारिश के बाद बगीचे में तितलियों का मेला लग गया। After the rain, the garden filled with a profusion of butterflies.
(baarish ke baad bagiiche men titliyon kaa melaa lag gayaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर डिस्काउंट का ऐलान हो जाए, तो यहाँ ग्राहकों का मेला लग जाए। If a discount were announced, this place would be swarmed with customers.
(agar diskaaunt kaa ailaan ho jaae, to yahaan graahkon kaa melaa lag jaae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
अगर उस दिन बारिश न होती, तो स्टेडियम के बाहर दर्शकों का मेला लगा होता। If it hadn't rained that day, there would have been a sea of spectators outside the stadium.
(agar us din baarish n hotii, to stediyam ke baahar darshkon kaa melaa lagaa hotaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
मेट्रो स्टेशन पर सुबह-सुबह ऑफिस जाने वालों का मेला लगा रहता है। Early in the morning, the metro station is packed with a sea of office-goers.
(metro steshan par subah-subah ophis jaane vaalon kaa melaa lagaa rahtaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसकी मेज़ पर काग़ज़ों का ऐसा मेला लगा है कि कुछ ढूँढना मुश्किल है। There's such a mountain of papers on his desk that it's hard to find anything.
(uskii mez par kaaghzon kaa aisaa melaa lagaa hai ki kuchh dhoondhnaa mushkil hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
क्रिकेट मैच के दिन बाज़ार में तरह-तरह के ठेलों और खोमचों का मेला लग जाता है। On match day, the market fills up with a whole crowd of pushcarts and snack stalls of every kind.
(kriket maich ke din baazaar men tarah-tarah ke thelon aur khomchon kaa melaa lag jaataa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): मेला (melaa)
(sg.m.oblique): मेले (mele)
(pl.m.direct): मेले (mele)
(pl.m.oblique): मेलों (melon)