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Viva Carnival, Viva Goa!
 As
spring approaches everybody is talking about the Carnival in Goa.
What is the Carnival? Why is it synonymous with Goa and Brazil?
What happens there that people go crazy? The Goa Carnival,
celebrated on the three days just before Lent, is an integral part
of the Portuguese heritage of the state that was a dominion
of Portugal till 1961. The carnival epitomizes fun-loving culture,
characteristic to Goa.
Brazilian capital city Rio de Janeiro celebrates the world
famous carnival street show in its own exotic flavour. Brazil the
land of Samba music, marks the celebrations of its discovery
in a special way. In February, both Goa and Brazil, the two former
Portuguese colonies in the East and West are on a carnival high.
 The
Goa Carnival was originally held to mark the beginning of cashew
and mango ripening season, the two main products of Goa. Gradually
it was adapted by the Portuguese into the Catholic Lent rituals,
lasting from Fat Saturday to Ash Wednesday. Though celebrated by
the Christian population of Goa, its only relevance to Christianity
is that it is celebrated before Lent. Otherwise the festival has
no religious undertones and has come to be a cultural highlight
of the state.
The word carnival is said to be derived from the Latin Caro
meaning 'meat' and Vale, which translates to 'good-bye'.
Some also link it to Carnislevamen or 'the pleasures of meat', before
the abstinence during the 40 days of Lent. Another hypothesis suggests
it originated from Carrus navalis, the horse-drawn, boat-shaped
carriage that was paraded during the Roman festival Saturnalia,
in honour of Saturn. It carried men and women in fancy dresses,
wearing masks, and singing obscene songs. It is possible that the
present-day concept of a carnival emerged from this parade.
 It
was also an occasion for unchecked eating. People gorge on rich
food at lavish feasts. Even the convents distribute cakes and pastries.
The carnival in Goa has retained the core of these festivities,
while adapting and amalgamating it with the local culture. Though
it is celebrated for only three days, the preparations start many
days in advance, and buildup to a frenetic pitch by the eve of the
carnival.
A king of Chaos called King Momo is elected. He presides
over the three-day festivities, which attract visitors from all
over India and abroad. Street plays, songs, dances, and impromptu
farces mocking the establishments are performed before an enthusiastic,
responsive audience. Floats depicting popular lullabies and nursery
rhymes make a whimsical and colourful addition to the streets. Cultural
functions and competitions abound in the three days of revelry and
King Momo distributes the prizes.
 The
contestants wear colourful costumes and elaborate masks.
Among the outrageous dresses seen on the street are some made of
sheer, transparent polythene. In the fun-filled atmosphere, people
smear color on each other, instead of the flour, eggs, fruit and
water thrown earlier. This could be an adaptation from the Holi
festival of the Hindus. In Goan villages, the festivities have
a more indigenous flavor.
Carnival highlights grand parades of floats and decorated
traditional and cultural troupes performing on the roads as part
of the programs organized and feted by the Government and the tourism
industry. The huge floats are artistic creations that enhance the
community's desire to highlight the different aspects of social
and cultural mores that exist in today's society.
 The
sea of onlookers along the main thoroughfare of the capital town,
with the picturesque Mandovi river serving as the perfect
backdrop, are enthralled by a spectacular allegorical and brilliant
display of guitar-strumming Cavalleros' and cavorting
`Senoritas' attired in elaborate costumes atop colourfully decorated
trucks and junk cars. The final day concludes with the famous red-and-black
dance held by the Clube Nacional in Panaji. The dancers are
a vibrant addition to the parades that line the streets in Goa where
thousands flock to witness the exotica, in the major townships.
The rural community has its own charming and traditional aspect
with traveling troupes performing in different areas and the colourful
costumes and merry inebriation that is a part of the spirit of Fun.
So be there this year in Goa and get high on a heady mixture of
fun, feni and frolic!
Levine Lawrence
Picture courtesy Goa world.net
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