The Bhangra Nation MELA is hosted by Bhangra Nation and supported by Ontario Arts Council, it is one of the few Festivals in the country which commissions Bhangra, provides a platform for emerging Canadian artists, and brings traditional and classical art forms to a wider audience. Bhangra Nation, a Punjabi arts and cultural organization dedicated in showcasing the dance of Bhangra to the local community and educating others about the culture of Punjab, a northern state of India. The organization began eleven years ago when the founder, Ranvir Rai, hosted a competitive dance show for Bhangra and Giddha teams at his undergraduate university. Today Bhangra Nation has grown into an internationally recognized, non- profit organization which holds an annual Bhangra competition in Toronto that involves dance teams from around the world, provides the GTA and the Halton-Peel community with professionally instructed Bhangra dance, Music and Dhol classes at its dance studio and continues to expand its mission in other areas of Canada, such as Vancouver, with its newest chapter "Bhangra Nation West."
Bhangra Nation seeks to promote awareness about the Punjabi dances of Bhangra and Giddha in order to incorporate youth populations and diverse ethnicities into its mission of producing beautiful and friendly dance competitions and exciting new projects, such as launching arts festivals about Punjabi traditions. Ranvir Rai, the founder of Bhangra Nation has remained dedicated to this mission throughout the many obstacles that the organization has faced such that today Bhangra Nation is proud to be known as the first South Asian organization to be proudly sponsored by the Ontario government. Bhangra Nation is an arts organization which seeks to keep young children and teenagers involved in healthy physical activity and creative art work, while helping them build important values such as respect, team building skills and tolerance. The time Bhangra Nation invests in educating the young populations of Canada today ensures an artistic and culturally inclined population for the future.
Most of all Bhangra Nation continues to achieve new markers each year. With the founder's innovation, professionalism, and creativity in pursuing new projects Bhangra Nation is now recognized among the South Asian community as an organization with a proactive and futuristic glance. This year Bhangra Nation will continue to host the annual world dance festivity in Toronto, however with a larger venue, in order to meet its goal to attain a theatre setting ideal for team performances and audience enjoyment.
These few examples provide evidence of how Bhangra Nation's dedication to showcase the folkloric dances of Punjab reaches larger heights each year. Bhangra Nation's persistence to achieve its goals and professional manner of sharing Punjabi arts with the local community renders it a perfect organization.