The popular Carnival float parade of Goa’s capital, Panjim which marks the beginning of the Carnival celebrations in the State will this year be held on the Jack Sequeira Road (Miramar-Dona Paula).
Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) Chairman Nilesh Cabral informed that the route for this year’s Carnival parade in Panjim will be the Miramar Circle to Dona Paula road and the route has been finalized.
Stating that due to influx of too many vehicles during the event, Cabral said the main road (D.B. Bandodkar Marg) gets congested, and therefore the new route has been finalized taking all the stakeholders into confidence. The Chief Minister, Tourism Minister as well as the mayor have been informed.
“Carnival will be celebrated in the same fervor as earlier with food festival and all the other activities together,” he said, pointing out that the flavour of the internationally famous event will not be diluted.
The annual Carnival float parade in Panjim will be held on Saturday, February 10, which is sponsored by the GTDC. The festivities will continue for three days at the Samba Square organized by the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP).
The decision was taken following a meeting with all the concerned.
“There were some teething problems but it has been sorted out and the parade will take place on the Miramar-Dona Paula route… The food festival and other events will also be done together,” he told reporters on Monday.
The annual festival will be held across different places from February 10-13, with Cabral claiming that Goa’s tradition will be depicted through various floats.
Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism has decided to increase the prize money for parade competition in all categories this year in order to see quality participation and ensure strong focus on presentation of Goan culture and tradition.
It is learnt that an attractive hike in prize money may be around 30 per cent.
