After two years of subdued festivities due to the Covid pandemic, this year Carnival is expected to be seen on a grander scale, like never before.
The air is already full of bits of colourful paper, confetti, music, excitement and cheer, heralding the commencement of the fun week not only major cities but even the bylanes of Goa.
The glimpse of the fun and merriment that awaits Goans was seen in the curtain raiser for Carnival 2023 which was held in Porvorim on Friday, February 17, 2023.
This was for the first time that a curtain raiser was held to showcase the festivities lined up for the next four days.
The float parade, which was scheduled at 3 pm, began only at little past 5 in the evening and followed the route from the Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition (IHM) to the Acdil School in Porvorim.
Releasing bunches of colourful balloons into the air, Tourism Minister, Rohan Khaunte, along with Union Minister Shripad Naik and other officials flagged off the first float of the parade, as King Momo, Russel D’souza and the pretty ladies besides him stood aboard a well-crafted float that headed the celebration.
The crowd, which had gathered for the event, stood in the torrid heat and never complained about the long delay to witness the parade from the sidewalk with water bottles in their hands and caps on their heads.
However, King Momo did not read the merry-making decree as is the tradition for reasons unknown.
The carnival festivities in Goa will officially begin on February 18, 2023, and will go on till February 21, 2023. This year, carnival is being held at several major and minor locations, making it one the biggest so far.
An abundance of fun and cheer, the itinerary for February includes painting your face, showing off a colourful attire and extending the tripod stick in your hand to take pictures on and of the street during the carnival parade.
The Panjim parade today, will be followed by celebrations in Vasco, Mapusa and Margao. Today, Panjim awaits its biggest show of the month as the capital city hosts Carnival 2023, which is just a few hours away.
