Goa Carnival Street Parade-cheered on by an audience watching from a balconey
The Goa Carnival is an integral feature of the Catholic heritage of Goa which was a Portuguese colony till 1961 It is exclusive to Goa and is not celebrated elsewhere in India Carnival carnaval in Portuguese derives from a Latin word meaning to take away meat The festival was introduced by the erstwhile rulers as a period of unbridled festivity and merry making prior to the austere 40 day Lent when abstinence from meat is a rule Celebrated since the 18th Century the carnival culminating on Shrove Tuesday one day before Ash Wednesday used to be a rowdy 3 days celebration Fierce battles were waged in the streets with plaster of Paris eggs wax lemons corncobs and beans Blows were dealt liberally with brooms and wooden spoons Sand filled gloves dirty water and glue were aimed at helpless bystanders Pots and pans were flung out through windows Perhaps to discard everything old and soiled before the Lenten fast It was a time for orgies of eating and convents distributed cakes and pastries The preparations for the festival took days building up to a frenetic pitch by the eve of the carnival Today the carnival in Goa still retains the core of the original A King of Chaos called King Momo is elected He presides over the three day festivities which attract visitors from India and abroad Street plays songs and unrehearsed farces mocking the establishment are performed before an enthusiastic audience Huge parades are organized throughout the state with bands and floats out all night on the streets grand balls in the evenings and fiercely contested cultural competitions Contestants wear outrageous costumes and elaborate masks In Goan villages the festivities retain a more indigenous flavor Though celebrated by the Christian population of Goa the festival today has no religious undertones and is more a cultural highlight Goa carnival street parade Margao Salcete Goa
Size: 3531px × 5372px
Location: Margao, Goa, India
Photo credit: © Ladi Kirn / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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