PANAJI
True to Deputy Chief Minister Manohar Babu Ajgaonkar’s quip that the ‘show must go on’, hundreds of revellers thronged the streets of Panaji throwing caution to wind, to witness and have a glimpse of floats at the Carnival parade on Saturday.
The parade was flagged off by Ajgaonkar in the presence of Mayor of CCP, Uday Madkaikar and other officials at the Santa Monica Jetty, Panaji which later culminated at Kala Academy.
Sixtus Eric Dias who was the King Momo for the Carnival celebration led the float parade and pronounced his decree of ‘eat, drink and be merry’.
Though the parade evoked a good response, it was less compared to last year.
Just 12 floats against the usual 30-40 floats participated in the parade depicting Goan tradition and conveyed various public-interest messages in various categories like traditional, club/institution, family, clown/joker, fun and junk car rally.
The same floats will participate at the Carnival parade in Margao on February 14.
Civil society people, however, avoided the Carnival festivities this year. A teacher who used to visit the Carnival annually said “due to the Covid pandemic, this year our family decided to give the parade a miss”.
In view of the Covid pandemic, instead of multiple city and town venues, the celebrations including the traditional float parade was restricted to only two venues -- Panaji and Margao -- on February 13 and 14.
