Photos by Cecil Pinto, exclusively for Goa-World.Com

Carnival festivities begin 17 Jan 2007

NT Staff Reporter
 

Panaji, Feb 17 A record number of 115 floats rolled down the Mandovi riverside today afternoon as thousands lined the street to watch Panaji Carnival 2007 unfold in a riot of colour, costume, music and dance. Weeks of uncertainty and acrimony between the competing organisers lay buried as the parade passed off in gaiety and peace.

‘’Let the Carnival roll,’’ proclaimed the Tourism Minister, Dr Wilfred de Souza as he released colour balloons and unfurled a banner to flag off the Panaji Carnival at 4.15 p.m. today on the new Patto bridge. A gaily-decorated Santa Monica – the Goa Tourism Development Corporation boat -- sailed leisurely by. The Governor, Mr S C Jamir, family and entourage watched the spectacle from the special enclosure opposite the Adil Shah palace.

It was here that King Momo read out his decree to usher in his three-day reign of fun and frolic. Urging his subjects to forget past worries and sorrows, King Momo advised a three-day indulgence in music and wine. King Momo, atop the lead Goa tourism department float, was resplendent in gold and red attire, a gem-encrusted crown on his head, a gold-capped sceptre in hand and two fair beauties on either side. A selection of seductive sirens, both local and foreign, swayed to the music on his float.

If today’s float parade boasted of the highest number of floats ever in the history of Goa’s Carnival, the floats to really provoke those ‘ah-ha’ moments of surprise and delight, floats of innovative and brilliant craftsmanship, were few and far between.

In fact, a small flutter came early and was created by the GTDC Chairperson, Ms Fatima de Sa herself. Attired in an electric blue outfit, Ms de Sa rode the parade route on a gleaming Bajaj Avenger motorcycle festooned with colour balloons. She was accompanied on other bikes by her GTDC colleagues, all ladies and a lone man.

The floats in the traditional category were most evocative of the Carnival spirit. There was a 15-member Goan traditional brass band and diverse groups of ’kunbis,’ farmers and fishermen dancing to folksy Konkani songs. Some of the artistic floats included giant replicas of a green Hulk, a dinosaur skeleton, a winged dragon followed by a giant lizard and a frog.

The Bollywood actress, Ms Pooja Bedi and partner coruscated on a commercial float as teams of gaily-dressed, pom-pom punching youngsters danced in routine sameness alongside their respective floats. The parade had its share of black ghouls, fat-bottomed, big-bosomed aunties – all men in drag, clowns on stilts and even a Goan in kashtti (loin cloth) slurping congee. Some of the floats depicted nobler themes; ban frog-catching, keep Goa mosquito-free, Clean Goa and Save Goa’s Hills, Or Else…

Please click on the thumbnail images for larger ones.

King Momo dances to NCP beat, Cong absent

BY HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, FEB 17 — The fortnight-long controversy and cash incentives today drew large crowds of participants and spectators for the carnival parade organized by the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) in the city today.


As many as 115 floats participated in the little more than two hour-long parade, in different categories, according to GTDC. In the traditional category there were 17 floats, club and institution category saw 24 floats, fun junky car category saw 14 floats, family category 10, clowns\jokers 38 and sponsored category 12. Display of social themes ran through the parade as some highlighted maintaining traditional occupations like fishing, agriculture, kunbi dances, etc, while others came up with the message of keeping Goa safe from paedophiles, AIDS.
Overall, the quality of the floats was found wanting. Last year there were more creative floats. However, this time floats depicting frog, caterpillar, bat etc. made a mark. There was foreign participation in sponsored floats too.
While the Tourism Corporation had assured a non-commercial carnival, there was a large presence of commercial floats. Sources said that many of the floats which had registered with CCP-backed Panjim Carnival committee didn’t participate due to the lukewarm response from the government. They will, however, be seen in action at the Taleigao carnival parade on Sunday evening.
The spectator response was tremendous as besides a large turnout from local people, there was large presence of domestic and foreign tourists.
The enthused crowd gave the equally large presence of police force a tough time especially at locations where no barricading had been installed.
After the rift between the City Corporation and the Tourism Corporation died out yesterday, the GTDC entrusted with the task of organizing the carnival float parade for the first time worked all through the night to have the stage set with decorations etc.
The parade was flagged off by Deputy Chief Minister and Tourism Minister Dr Wilfred de Souza in the presence of GTDC Chairperson Fatima D’Sa and NCP’s General Secretary Surendra Furtado. Making the show an all NCP affair, no Congress MLA or minister nor the CCP Mayor and his ruling faction were present on the carnival dais. Goa Governor S C Jamir and his wife attended the parade.
When the parade began on Saturday evening, the GTDC took carnival revelers by surprise with simultaneous parades on road and in sea and a shower of petals from a helicopter hovering above the parade route.
Earlier in the evening, GTDC’s Chairperson Fatima D’Sa put the carnival mood in top gear as she rode down the parade route on a Yamaha Enticer accompanied by a GTDC troupe all on two-wheelers decked with flags and balloons
TRAFFIC: The capital city was thrown out of gear after the carnival parade ended.  People who had come to witness the floats were caught in traffic jams not only along the DB Marg but also the city roads. To make matters worse, the traffic on Panjim-Miramar road also faced difficulties as large number of cars are lined up on both sides of the road for the Physicans conference at Campal.

Photos by Cecil Pinto, exclusively for Goa-World.Com