Thousands of people enjoyed the return of the summer at the first ever Swindon Mela - where music, dance, and fantastic food took centre stage.

The Swindon Mela - an all day free outdoor event was held in the lush surroundings of the Old Town Gardens in Swindon on Saturday 2nd August.

It was a day of Asian-themed entertainment with live music, dance workshops, food, children's fun fair and a variety of stalls offering everything from head massage to face painting.

Acts appearing on The Bandstand stage included:

Melody Express - Direct from India, with four vocalists and four instrumentalists, Melody Express performed vintage Bollywood songs as well as the new popular hits in the style of all the legends of the Indian music industry like Geeta Dutt and Noorjaha.

Dholblasters and Nachdey Hasdey - One of the UK's leading Bhangra and freestyle dance troupes performed to the irresistible beat of the Punjabi Dhol drum - colourful and vibrant.

North Indian Classical Music - A collaboration between Indian violin player Manoj Baruah and Donnagh Sanfey on Sitar accompanied by Tapan Roy on Tabla.

Bombay Baja - Based on traditional brass bands from the Indian sub continent, Bombay Baja performed all the top Bollywood, Bhangra and Punjabi tunes as well as Indian wedding songs.

Bhangra Beat - brought the best of Bhangra and Bollywood to Swindon during the day.

The day's entertainment was crowned by DCS - an award-winning nine piece Birmingham based Bhangra band, which performed at the Old Town Bowl.

A wealth of talent from the Swindon and regional Asian communities brought their skills to The Showcase stage and included Mughda, Babaajitsingh Gatka Akhara (Sikh martial arts) and The Dhoti Boyz.

Amongst the workshops and activities were Bollywood and Bhangra dance lessons, a chance to learn how to tie and wear a Sari and Asian arts and crafts.

There was also a dazzling display of Asian fashion featuring stunning cloths from the Indian sub continent on display in the Asian Fashion Show.

Many people were more than happy to stand in long queues to sample the rich tastes of Indian cuisine including authentic Punjabi and Gujerati dishes. Totally mouthwatering!