Carnival celebrations, food festival kick off
TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The pre-carnival festivities were launched by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on a joyous Friday evening by releasing a bunch of balloons at the Garcia da Orta garden and declaring the Food and Cultural festival open with a blast of fireworks at Caranzalem.
The ‘Samba Square’ festivities organised by the Panjim Carnival Committee headed by the Commissioner of the Corporation of the City of Panjim Sanjit Rodrigues were inaugurated by Parrikar who is also the local MLA by releasing colourful balloons, an hour after the scheduled start, amidst mascots, clowns, music and lavish food.
The Samba Square features dance, music and entertainment for five days including special games and kids’ zones, lounges, entertainment and other facilities in the garden.
The four-day event will see Goan bands belting out pulsating rhythms to pump up the party atmosphere.
The initiative is part of the CCP’s efforts to reclaim the people’s carnival after complaints that the carnival celebration was losing its old charm owing to commercialisation and organisation by professional companies, with no spontaneous participation of the town’s populace.
Crowds thronged the Garcia da Orta garden sporting vibrant coloured wigs, outfits and spontaneously broke into dance in tune with the music that was being dished out at the venue.
Interestingly, Parrikar chose not to speak or wish his constituency people after inaugurating the ‘Samba Square’ but instead left the venue as quickly as he had entered.
Rushing from the Garcia da Orta garden, to the National Institute of Water Sports (NIWS) grounds at Caranzalem for the Goa Food and Cultural Festival which also began on Friday evening he declared the food and cultural festival open to a magnificent display of fireworks.
“I declare the festival open,” Parrikar said before briskly making a tour of all the food and cultural stalls at the venue that depicted various facets of Goa’s historical and culinary culture.
The festival also showcased a special stall from the Arunachal Pradesh Tourism Department featuring the niche culture of the far flung North East Indian state which drew crowds.
The festival will feature cooking, design and other contests and will include performances, fashion shows and other features of Goan and Arunachal culture.
The inaugural function was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Francisco e Souza, Minister of Tourism Dilip Parulekar, Chairman of the Goa Tourism Development Corporation Nilesh Cabral, Director of Tourism Nikhil Dessai, and President of the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa Francisco de Braganca.
