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Goa carnival is a one of its kind festivals celebrated with huge show. It’s a three to four-day extravaganza that is acknowledged for its colorful parades, foot tapping music, enchanting dance performances and outstanding street plays. The Goa carnival is not only adored by the locals, but by the tourists from every corner of the globe. In fact tourists plan their visit around February and March so that they could attend the carnival.
History behind the carnival
The concept of Goa carnival was gifted by the Portuguese around more than 500 year ago. The former Portuguese rulers of Goa introduced the carnival as a rowdy festival. This carnival was celebrated by aiming the passerby with mud, flour, egg, oranges, sand filled gloves with dirty water and all other filthy stuff. The basic idea behind all this is believed to throw away all the old and filthy possessions before the Lenten fast.
The present day gala
The Goa carnival today is not celebrated with eggs and oranges. Rather, the present day festivity is all about the following things.
King Momo
The King of Chaos who is entitled as King Momo leads the carnival. Theaudition for King Momo starts one month before the carnival and the selection committee then chooses the strongest contender to play the role. King Momo also present farces mocking the establishments at the carnival.
Singing and Dancing Performances
Lullabies and nursery rhymes make an extraordinary sight. Further, dancers dressed in colorful attires perform on foot tapping music. Each step is so synchronized that people walking by the side are left spell-bound. Further, their costumes seem to carry colors from the rainbow; these attires mark the actual ambience of the celebration.
Street Plays
The funny street plays are the highlight of the show. Performed in front of completely enthusiastic and highly responsive audience, the street plays receive huge applause.
Float Parade
The float parade is another beautiful shade of the many shades of the Goa festival. Public shouts ‘Viva Carnival!’ while the float parade makes its way through various streets and lanes of Goa.
The Carnival and Tourism
The Carnival time of Goa is actually the peak tourist season of the state. Being a unique and one of the most celebrated festivals, people from different nooks and corners love to be the part of this carnival. The resorts and casinos of Goa witness a huge crowd in the carnival season. Thus, the carnival turns out be the major tourist attraction of Goa.
Though the carnival is just three to four day affair, but its preparations start a month before. From singers to dancers, actors and even public in general start gathering the funkiest as well as the most colorful attire for the carnival. Every year people wait eagerly for the carnival, for the pomp and show, for King Momo, for the parades. The shade of the carnival is very intensely spread across Goa; it is the part of Goan cultural and historical legacy.
Author- The writer of this post is Arvind, who loves to share his ideas about various holiday destinations of India. After visiting Goa, he has become a fan of Goa beaches, Carnival festival, and Goa Ozran Heights resort.