UNION TOWNSHIP — The Hindu Temple's third annual Mela is today, and event organizers hope the Indian Festival will help educate people about separating Asian Indians from the terrorism that led to the attack on America.

        “Some people in the community are still very confused about who did the World Trade Center bombing,” said Ed Ritchey, a spokesman for the event and CEO of the Homeless Hot Line of Greater Cincinnati. “We want to encourage people to learn about Indian culture, their music and food and how they dress.” Not all people know the difference between Hindus and Arabs, said Kailash Sharma, a priest at the Hindu Temple.

        “Most followers of the Hindu religion are from India and Nepal,” he said. “Hindu is about nonviolence and helping others.”

        It's especially important to educate people about India in the wake of three acts of vandalism at the temple since July 4, Mr. Ritchey added.

        Organizers expect almost 6,000 people from all cultures to attend the festival in the parking lot of the Hindu Temple, 4920 Klatte Road — almost double the number who first went to the festival in 2000.

        Indians are the largest Asian population in Southwest Ohio; 7,349 people said they were of Indian descent in the 2000 census.

        The festival will celebrate the different regions of India with a show of Indian fashions, a “Taste of India,” tours of the temple and a dance exhibition. Those features will be interspersed with game booths, horse rides and clowns.

        “It's like stepping into India, people can immerse themselves in another culture,” Mr. Ritchey said.

        With the festival four days before the anniversary of the attack on America, there will be a short remembrance when the festival kicks off at noon. There will also be a blood drive as a way to remember Sept. 11 victims by helping others, said Michael E. Anderson, of the Hoxworth Blood Center.

        “We are not preaching religion,” said Tarun Bhowmik, president of the Indian community organization Agrani, which is helping the Hindu Temple put on the event. “Our objective is to bring everybody together.”

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