Carnival in Goa - February 2010

If it’s India on your mind and you are heading there any where in February of March don’t dare miss the Goa carnival 2010. Make sure you can accommodate the Goan Carnival in your itinerary. If you are the party type or a food-a-holic then this place has a lot in store for you. On the top of this if the party is at one of the best beaches of this planet then you definitely can’t put down this deal.

Date of Goa Carnival and history of celebrations?

The Goa Carnival will be celebrated in the last week of February. The partying and merry making will be at their peak during 13th to 16th February. As a tradition Goans celebrate this festival with six weeks to go for the Easter Sunday. Goa being an erstwhile Portuguese colony has retained the Portuguese tradition of carnivals. So this carnival is classified as a kind of Mardi Grass celebrations. Other carnivals of this kind may be seen in Spain, Portugal and Brazil too which like Goa was once dominated by Spanish/Portuguese. One attribute that sets apart these carnivals form other celebrations is the riotous merrymaking. The Goan version in particular is a favorite among foreign tourists who are known to return to Goa many times afterwards to be a part of the Carnival.

Specialty of Goan Carnival

The specialty of Goan Carnival is that it has a distinct touch of Indian culture added to Portuguese tradition. Though the carnival is supposed to be a Christian celebration before the beginning of Lent fast is it celebrated with as much vigor by the Hindu population of Goa and enjoyed by every tourist who comes to be a part of it. So this festival was never limited to any religion or community.

Major attraction at Goa Carnival.

If one was to list the major attraction at the Goa carnival King Momo would top the list. The legendary king Momo is appointed the king of Goa for the carnival period and makes a grand entry into the capital city of Panji with his retinue. He then orders his kingdom (Goa) to go all out and celebrate the occasion. Beautifully decorated floats depicting goan life and world events will be out on streets. There will be young people performing dance parades in colorful dresses. Live music and entertainment shows will go on late into the night. The most happening place will be the beaches of course as Goa is known for its exquisite beaches. You can choose from a wide variety of food and beverages. I would recommend Goan Sea food and Feni for the non-veg and alcoholic types. Feni is a special alcoholic beverage that originated here. Back in the city streets and villages of Goa carnival takes a peculiar turn. Brace yourself for occasional out of the blue rotten egg or waste vegetable pelting if you are in some residential street. People also aim discarded shoes and other useless house hold stuff at passers bys. These are all done in the spirit of the occasion and in line with the old tradition of purging the house of filth before the beginning of Lent period. You don’t have to be seriously worried about this as no one will try to throw a broken bathtub over you unless you try to ask the daughter of the local Gangster for a dance. Just keep an eye for aerial projectiles.

Probably I got you hooked to this wonderful festival. So if you have time and the resources then hit the beaches of Goa this February and experience in person the Great Goan Carnival. Read more about Holiday to Goa.