TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Goa opened the floodgates for partying and indulgence, as the glamorous Carnival opened when the portly King Momo read out his decree calling on all to eat drink and make merry, ahead of the floats parade Saturday.
King Momo, Geovani Bosco Santimano, waved to the crowds from his exalted position on the lead float, flanked by the Carnival queen and princesses in their flowing sequinned dresses. Sixty four colourful floats, accompanied by pulsating music, were cheered on by locals and tourists both domestic and foreign, who crammed the city for the decibel-defying annual spectacle.
The float parade was flagged off by Chief Secretary Kewal Sharma in the presence of Tourism Secretary R K Srivastava, Director of Tourism Ameya Abhyankar among others.
The parade saw several big and small floats on themes as diverse as village occupations, to bull fights, environment and ecology, Goan culture etc, rolling along the scenic Mandovi promenade from the Old Secretariat to Campal Ground. The highlight of the parade was the presentation by the drummers from all over Goa.
However, many locals expressed their disappointment at the predictability of the whole show. “There is nothing different to show. It’s nearly the same (show) every year,” Carol D’Sa, a Panjim resident said.
The extremely slow movement of the floats and the music of different floats clashed with one another also left many impatient and disappointment. Many revellers opined that the government ought to concentrate on the quality of floats and have a screening process where floats which are not up to the mark are knocked out in a pre-Carnival parade, and not focus only the arrangements alone.
“For the tourists, it’s enjoyable since it’s something new to them, but for Goans we need to see variety and creativity. There has to be advance preparation. We expect a lot from the concerned authorities and participants as well,” said another reveler Sonali Malham.
“This was the lowest ever participation in a Carnival parade and publicity was not adequate,” said Joaquim Tellis, member of the Panjim Carnival Committee. “The government concentrated more on infrastructure (sound, barricading, decoration), instead of inviting and promoting quality floats. Besides, the quality was also not up to the mark. Except for the float from Quepem, there were hardly any quality floats.”
The festivities extended beyond the parade with dances and fun lined up at the Samba Square and various starred hotels and open air dances. The float parades will continue at Margao and Ponda on February 15, Vasco and Curchorem on February 16 and Mapusa and Shiroda on February 17.
