Carnival or Intruz in olden days was completely different from what is being portrayed nowadays. Although it was an all-Goa festival, the villages of Salcete had their own unique ways of celebrating and was mainly dominated by khell tiatrs, consisting of folk plays, music and songs. Each complete show of khell-tiatr consisted of 3 parts, each of about an hour duration and had a complete story enacted by using clever dialogues, satirical songs and catchy music. There was no need of any stage but approximately a 8m by 8m plain field. Spectators gathered all around the actors keeping enough space for the participants to perform their acting. For some convenient reasons female actors consisted of males dressed as ladies in colourful clothes. There were no fees charged but the people around that area made some monetary contributions and paid for the shows. The khell tiatr troupes went from village to village at the sound of blaring brass band music and loud drum beats for three days of carnival. Benaulim village was famous for exceptional khell tiatr writers, producers and actors and their plays were in great demand. In addition there were balls, dances, fancy dress competitions and singing sessions organised at different places. Inter-ward duels between youth groups fighting with "cocotes" (small cylindrical packets of colourful papers filled with soft powdered mud which were thrown at each other) until one of the groups gave in. There was real fun and frolic all around Goa, enjoyed by young and old.
Antonio Diniz, Fatorda
