Grand San Joao celebrations at Siolim.

Grand San Joao celebrations at Siolim

Photos By William Rodrigues

Sao Joao today (2001)
(Navhind Times)

PANAJI, June 23, 2001: Sao Joao will be celebrated in Goa tomorrow with the traditional enthusiasm as men of all shapes, sizes and dispositions take the plunge in their neighbourhood wells, rivulets and natural lakes with the loud chanting of Sao Joao, Sao Joao, Viva Sao Joao.

Come tomorrow, the traditional leaf-and-flower crowns (kopel) will adorn the scalps of the bald as well as the hirsute. While mother-in-laws fuss over their son-in-laws, the neighbourhood urchins and brats will be running after the new brides to douse them with water drawn from the wells.

Many a bottle will be uncorked and much fiery feni will flow down the cold gullets of drenched men. Fruit of the season too is also distributed to the revellers by households, often to celebrate the birth of a newborn child. Many villages used to take a floating tableau of plays down the river in the earlier years but of late the enterprise does not have many followers.

Siolim, however, has revived the Sao Joao activity and like last year, a huge show and many related competitions are planned there. Like-wise at Calangute, the Colonia de Braganza will have day-long celebrations starting at 10 a.m.

The main events will be the crowning of the Rain Queen and the Traditional Sao Joao Copel, but many prizes and surprises are also planned. These include a live band, Magic show, mando singing and folk dances.

Vicars in some churches have advised restraint to drunkenness and debauchery sometimes committed in the name of Sao Joao. Special care is also advised to bathers who jump into field-wells fitted with electrical pumps.

Although this year the monsoons created a havoc within a week's downpour from the heavens, Goans did not feel depressed altogether in celebrating the much awaited San Joao festival today.

"Choll re piea re, tum illo ghe re, fallem kaim mellona......... Oslim festam vorsak kiteak don pauttim einna??" the song reminds us all of the celebrations in the past.

Baskets of juicy jackfruit, finger-licking good Mussarad mangoes, the last of the pineapples,.. specially 'saved' for sharing at the 'San Joao' fest....with the 'ghorcho' caju ani mad'd feni, and the sannas, kholleas, ani the traditional vojjem served were the highlights of the fest!

With the seasonal mansoon magic, the mood was wonderful, at least for the day (keeping aside the ever growing political chaos, the language controversy, the 'polluting' subjects, ... and the like).

Enjoy the pictures, brought to you live by the
Goa-World Team...

Thanks for the excellent pictures forwarded by:
Goa-World's own resources:
William Rodrigues (Professional Photographer)
& Cecil Pinto (Prop: Pinto&Pinto - Panjim,Goa).

Colourful San Joao held at Siolim

Courtesy Gomantak Times

PANAJI: A colourful sangodd was organised by the Siolim San Joao traditional boat festival committee on Saturday. The function took place in the rivulet opposite St Anthonys church Siolim.

The chief guest for the function was Retd Col Albino Fernandes and the other celebrities who attended the function were Chief Secretary of Goa Alok Nath, Sarpanch of Siolim Satish Toraskar, international pop star and the son of the soil of Goa Remo Fernandes, the Britton brothers, Young Chico, the beauty queen of Goa (Calangute) Valusha DSouza, Usha Albuquerque professionally a news reader of Doordarshan. Pamla was doing a special feature on Siolim San Joao. The band Pietros played scintillating music to make the evening a pleasant one .

There were five colourfully decorated boats which participated in the competition. Every group came in and sang a mando and then put a well decorated crown on the Cross which stands on the bank of the stream.

John de Badem who belongs to a tradition of painting churches specially those which are painted gold, dressed himself like a shepherd with animal hyde on his body, a lamb on the shoulder and a staff in his hand sang a mando who was accompanied by his 96 year old father and his team members. It was then H Briton took over the stage with his gagra choli and sang a song on the Baina addiction. He also commented that he had never seen such an event in his life span elsewhere. He also took this opportunity to market his cassettes at a discounted rate.

The were also spot prizes. The prize for best head gear was bagged by Young Glen from Mama and the other prize for the longest nail was carried away by Mohan Naik. Sannas were also served to the crowd.

Remo played his favourite flute and guitar. He invited the spectators to join him with clap and cheer. The energetic crowd along with Remo and the band Pietros, caused an earth shiver bringing a part of the stage along with H Briton ... down "Viva San Joao."

The boats were judged by Pranali Naik and Memoonara Fernandes, both ex-students of Goa College of Fine Arts. The prize for the best decorated boat went to Vaddy boys. The whole function was covered by Goa Doordarshan. Finally it was the Pietros who kept on entertaining the crowds, says a press release issued by Russel Lobo.

Courtesy Gomantak Times

Sao Joao celebrated at Ancestral Goa, Big Foot - Loutolim

MARGAO: The traditional festival of Sao Joao was celebrated with fervor and zest at Ancestral Goa, Big Foot, Loutolim recently. Those visiting the tourist destination of south Goa were treated to a splashing spectacle of the unique Goan customs associated with this feast.

Youth with their colourful headgear made of creepers and leaves jumped into ponds to retrieve fruits like jackfruits, coconuts and other goodies with shouts of Sao Joao, hailing the patron of the feast.

Women dressed in traditional clothes also offered the guests traditional sweets like patholio and holle.

Ancestral Goa received a very good response on Sao Joao day, as people wanted to experience the festival, as it is traditionally done. About 290 tourists and locals watched and participated in the festivities, which went on in high spirits though the rains failed.

(Courtesy: Gomantak Times)

Biblical Characters / Dali or Wojem / Floats on Boats

Ghummot accompaniment / H Britton sings / Hot Hot Sanna

Joel, Alexyz and Alister / Launching the Float / Lensmen in action

Remo and Alexyz / Remo with Revellers / San Joao makes his entry

Siolim Boys Boat Float / The Copel Competition / Young Chico and fly

Zanvuin / Zhor Boys Boat

Conch Shell to Begin / Copell prize winner / San Joao himself

Khuris Copell / Remo Regales / View from the water

Ashok Nath Chief Secretary of Goa / Beautiful Spectator / Centenarian contestant

Sao Joao celebrated at Mobor

The traditional festival of Sao Joao, the feast of St John the Baptist was celebrated with traditional fervour at Holiday Inn, Mobor on Saturday, 24 June. The full day programme included magic show, various games and competitions, including mando contest, breaking the coconut, breaking the pot, beer drinking, water polo, etc.

A traditional buffet too was offered mouthwatering dishes like pork fejuade, prawn curry, chicken cafreal, sorpotel with sannas etc with traditional sweets like Patholio. A special Chaat Counter was also set up to provide delicious chaat.

The festival evoked a very good response. There was also disco at Party Zone later in the evening.

The Food and Beverage Manager Joseph Reverrado said the idea of organising such an event is to provide guests with the traditional essence of the festival which apart from tourists was also enjoyed by people coming from as far as Mapusa and Panjim. (Courtesy: Gomantak Times)

' Festa de Sao Joao en Brazil '.

RECIFE, Brasil (CNN) -- O nordeste brasileiro se prepara para viver um fim de semana especial, nos festejos do dia de
São João, no próximo sábado, 24. Nas grandes e pequenas cidades da região mais seca e pobre do país, os nordestinos
comemoram a data dançando quadrilha, com direito a bebidas e comidas típicas e ao tradicional forró, um estilo de
música dançante. Duas cidades promovem uma alegre disputa na festa de São João: Caruaru, região agreste do estado
de Pernambuco, e Campina Grande, interior do estado da Paraíba. Os moradores se mobilizam em mutirões para
transformar as áreas de lazer das duas cidades em gigantescos arraiais, lembrando os vilarejos do interior, com ruas e
casas enfeitadas com bandeiras e balões coloridos. Fogueiras são acesas para esquentar o ritmo contagiante da sanfona,
do triângulo e do zabumba, o trio de instrumentos do forró. Esta "briga" pelo arraial mais bonito é traduzida em números e
investimentos. Em Campina Grande, são esperados 600 mil foliões na "noite de São João". A prefeitura da cidade já investiu
R$ 2,5 milhões (cerca de US$ 1,4 milhão) na festa. São 300 pontos para venda de bebida e comida, 24 horas de música
ininterruptas, com 30 quadrilhas se revezando, e uma fogueira cenográfica de 21 metros de altura. "A nossa festa, este ano,
vai ser a maior do mundo", diz o prefeito Fábio Nogueira, sem qualquer modéstia. A prefeitura de Caruaru não deixa por
menos. Calcula que um milhão de pessoas vão brincar o São João na cidade. Os organizadores prometem uma queima
espetacular de fogos de artifício para saudar o Santo padroeiro, apóstolo de Jesus Cristo. Os fogos de artifício, vendidos
nas calçadas e em estabelecimentos comerciais das cidades nordestinas, já provocaram a morte de 11 pessoas nos
últimos dois meses. Em alguns locais, como em Cruz das Almas, no sertão do estado da Bahia, os moradores promovem
guerras de rojões e pequenas explosões viraram rotina nesta época do ano, com várias pessoas feridas. Os arraiais
montados nos logradouros das cidades preservam a cultura e o folclore da região, que tem a menor renda per capita do
país, constantemente ameaçada pela seca. As crendices populares dão a tônica dos festejos. Apesar de São João não
ter o poder de "santo casamenteiro" de Santo Antônio, os nordestinos ensinam uma simpatia para as mulheres à procura de
um bom marido:

"Escreva em pequenos recortes de papel os nomes de possíveis candidatos. Dobre os recortes e coloque-os em uma vasilha com
água. Passada a noite de São João, o papel que amanhecer desenrolado indicará o nome do noivo", ensina uma moradora, que, garante, a simpatia com ela deu certo. Viva São João!

Courtsey CNN.COM

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