SPLASHES of colour will shimmer in the sun, with the return of festivities celebrating Oxford's vibrant cultural communities.

Crowds of merrymakers are expected to unite as they bask under the summer sun for the Oxford Hindu Temple and Community Centre Project's extravaganza.

It will be the eighth year a fusion of cultures has erupted across the city, bringing families together to indulge in an eclectic mix of tasty treats and flamboyant performances.

Mela organiser Kanta Gopal said: "We are celebrating the rich diversity of Oxfordshire's communities. It's great that it's supported by most of the communities because it's turned out to be a friendly, family-fun day out."

The six-hour festivities will bring together community and religious groups from across the county while gathering cash to give Oxford its first Hindu Temple.

Dancers are set to leap across Rose Hill Community Centre, artists will help guests unleash their untold creative talents, and a host of sporty pursuits will get residents on their feet.

Exotic treats from across the globe will be dished out during the fundraiser, which will boast food from the Punjab, Gujarat and South India.

Families popping along to the mela, set to takeover the centre on May 20, will also have the chance to enjoy Syrian, Nepalese and Spanish cuisines, Mrs Gopal revealed.

The volunteer said community groups and charities will be on hand to promote their good causes, adding: "Melas are a gathering of sights, smells, sounds and tastes. This is an event which is truly inclusive. We are trying to bring together the community by giving residents an opportunity to connect, make friends, make relationships and ultimately, support each other."

At least 1,200 revellers poured into the Carole's Way centre last year for the celebrations, but group members are eager to transform this year's mela into the biggest yet.

Mrs Gopal, who has organised the celebrations with an eight-strong team of volunteers, said the troupe is hoping to entice at least 2,000 residents to join the fun from 11am.

She added: "When we started it eight years ago, it was a very small community event with only about 150 people. It was organised to show the wider community how important the mela is in changing perceptions and promoting cultural respect through celebrating diversity and through unity in Oxfordshire."

The Oxford Hindu Temple and Community Centre Project has been battling to secure a permanent base to hold community events and communal prayer since 2008.

Cash raised at the mela will be put towards its plans to buy land to build a temple, along with a community centre, or rent a suitable space.

Email kantabgopal@yahoo.co.uk to get volunteer or sponsor the event.