PANAJI
Fun, frolic and merriment was the order of the day in the capital city Panaji as Goa kicked off the four-day Carnival festivities with the float parade on Saturday.
Hundreds of people lined up along the Mandovi promenade to witness the float parade led by King Momo-mounted float of the Tourism Department.
The number of floats participating in the parade was comparatively low in this year's ‘Carnaval’ which is being held after a year's gap following last year's cancellation due to the pandemic.
The float parade took off with this year's King Momo Emiliano Dias reading out the decree of his four-day reign of fun and frolic across Goa.
Some local youth were seen holding posters with 'Bhivpachi Garaz Na' written on them mimicking the line made famous by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant when the pandemic first hit the State.
The Samba Square also wore a festive look with Goa's nightingale Lorna setting the stage ablaze with her fiery performance as she sang some of her classics including Lisboa and Bebdo amongst others. Bands Aces, M&M and True Blue belted out some of their favourites.
A local lad Bongisio lit up the stage at the Mandovi promenade with his genre of Konkani rap as audiences grooved to the beats.
The traditional Alvorada also went around the city in the morning to ring in the festivities.
In the following days up to March 1, float parades, dances and food fests are lined across towns and cities in Goa with organisers expecting a good response especially at the pop-up food bazaar for local foodpreneurs.
The city of Panaji will see a vintage car rally which will be flagged off from the Samba Square at 10 am on Sunday.
Over 50 stalls have been set up at the at the beautifully decorated Mandovi promenade where foodpreneurs have a delicious spread of cuisine on offer.
