PONDA: As Christmas was celebrated on Monday, houses, chapels, churches in and around Ponda were decked with awesome lighting. All Pondaites were in festive mood and were seen enjoying the festival with friends and relatives.
Various cultural programmes, tiatrs and dramas organized in the town by the Ponda Christmas Festival Committee.
Besides many people in Ponda had made cribs of various sizes. These cribs attracted a large number of people throughout the day.
The life size crib at Santa Ccruz Ponda was the main attraction of devotees, and visitors from all religious. Artist Richard Caldeira from Santa Cruz Ponda who is an engineer by profession along with his daughter Risa Maria Caldeira who made the crib, said it takes more than one month of hard work with participation of his family and the family members of his brother. He said no thermocol or plastic has been used and only eco-friendly material such as cardboard, papers and other material has been used. It will be available for public viewing till 10 January,
he informed.
Agustin Fernandes, a social worker from Ponda, who is associated with the organisation of cultural programmes said, Richard and his brother used to make small cribs since the past many years, but now they purchased land and started making crib in a larger area. Now people from all over Goa know about their art and visit the crib made. He said in 2022, Richard also won the first prize from the Department of Art and Culture. He said making the crib is an art and Richard is appreciated for his artistic work. Besides Richard a large number of locals in Ponda make cribs and decorate their houses at Santa Cruz Ponda to commemorate the birth of Jesus.
