PANAJI
In an attempt to recreate the beauty of traditions of the past and to herald the beginning of the Carnival and the festivities to follow, this year Panjim City Carnival will witness the age-old Alvorada in action.
Alvorada in Portuguese means “awakening" or "the sunrise".
The Alvorada is music played in a brass band by locals in Goa at the crack of dawn on the day of any feast, to wake up the people and to herald the good times to come during Carnival.
This peculiar style of music is known to reverberate through the villages long after the musicians have played their last note for the morning.
"The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has planned a series of events. This includes an Alvorada which will wind through the by-lanes and streets of the city and spread joy and cheer during the festivities”, said Agnelo J Fernandes, Commissioner of the City of Panaji.
This year, to pay homage to the Alvorada, a flatbed truck will be decorated and it will carry a brass band that will perform traditional Goan tunes as it drives through the city and its surrounding areas between 6 am to 8 am.
Post this, the decorated truck will be parked at a busy pedestrian area and will give locals and tourists a chance to photograph themselves with a tiny part of our history.
The city of Panjim is gearing up to celebrate Carnival between February 26 and March 1, 2022 with celebrations planned across the city.
Keen to position the State capital as a hub of creativity and gastronomic delight, the Corporation of the City of Panaji is also hosting a novel beach carnival this year, with hopes of getting a foot in the door of UNESCO’s global and prestigious network of creative cities.
‘The Beach Carnaval’ which is being hosted this year in association with the Goa Institute of Management’s Atal Incubation Centre and FIERCE Kitchens, India’s First Culinary Incubator based in Goa, will put the spotlight on local food culinary businesses, especially those who have transformed into food entrepreneurs or foodpreneurs during the pandemic when the economy hit an all-time low.
Apart from this, special attractions like cycle tours, walking trails, food stalls, culinary pop-ups, pop-up eateries, art workshops, craft sessions, creative games, musical performances, khel tiatrs, stand-up comedies will be a part of the festivities this year.
A vintage and classic car drive has also been planned from Samba Square to Miramar circle.
