Goa carnival concludes

The three-day long Goa annual carnival concluded on a note of fun and frolic on Tuesday.

Loutulim (Goa), Feb 6 : The three-day long Goa annual carnival concluded on a note of fun and frolic on Tuesday.

The thoroughfares of Loutulim, situated 50 kilometres away from Panaji, reverberated with the sound of drums and music as merry residents gathered on the streets to celebrate the carnival.

Men, women and children cross-dressed (men wearing women's clothes and women wearing men's clothes) and danced through the village beating drums and tins and performed skits before throwing water on each other.

Tourists participating in the carnival said that they thoroughly enjoyed it.

"The carnival has infused me with a new spirit which will take care of me for a year to come. I will definitely want to come once again here," said Ramesh Borkute, a tourist.

Maendra Alvares, a resident said that unlike other places the carnival at their village facilitates visitors to be a part of the celebrations and not just mere spectators.

"This was the traditional carnival what we are trying to show here. We are trying to revive and anyone who comes here becomes a part of the whole thing. The fun is what it's all about for the carnival," he said.

The carnival marks merriment and precedes 40 days of Lent before Easter when Goa abstains from any kind of merriment.

The event is one of the major attractions for overseas and domestic tourists visiting Goa.

The Goa Carnival is an integral part of the Portuguese heritage of the state, which was a dominion of Portugal till 1961.

The carnival epitomizes the fun-loving culture that is characteristic of Goa.

It was introduced by the erstwhile rulers as a rowdy celebration in which flour, eggs oranges, lemons, mud, sand-filled gloves along with dirty water, various liquids and glue were aimed at passersby. Used pots, pans, and other kitchen utensils were also thrown out of windows. Perhaps this was done to discard the old and the dirty before the Lenten fast.

Fierce battles were waged in the streets, with plaster-of-Paris eggs, wax lemons, corncobs and beans.

The carnival still retains the core of the original. A King of Chaos is elected, called King "Momo". He presides over the three-day festivities, which attract visitors from all over India and abroad.

ANI