Nirmala Institute of Education – Panjim, in collaboration with the Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of Goa, celebrated Abolianchem Fest at its campus. Abolianchem Fest celebrates the Goan sociocultural ethos as a confluence of food, music, dance, games, theatre and crafts.
Attendees were welcomed on a grand note with a traditional brass band led by Maestro Minguel Felipe Peixoto. This was followed by the inaugural ceremony that highlighted the Diamond Jubilee Year of the Institute and the theme, ‘Water: the Elixir of Life, Culture and Society’, along with the welcome address by the director, Dr Rita Paes.
The programme included competitions for schools and colleges, Konkani pop songs, theatre acts, performances by kindergarten students, folk dances and a ghumot music ensemble by over a hundred women teacher trainees. These were supplemented by interviews featuring Dr Manoj Ibrampurkar, Dr Cheryl Noronha, Varad Samant, Chandrakant Shinde and Elvis Goes. There were stalls selling food items, plants, ghumots and artworks. The fest was graced by eminent personalities like Clen Madeira, Commissioner of CCP, Ajay Gaude, CEO – North Goa Zilla Panchayat, Marius Fernandes, Festakar of Goa, Tallulah D’Silva, architect and environmentalist, Dr Saeesh Deshpande, theatre director, and musicians – Carlos Gonsalves, Felly Gomes and O’Luv, among others. The event concluded with a vote of thanks by the Dr. Delia Antao, officiating principal who conveyed her gratitude to all those involved in making the Abolianchem Fest a success.
