Bollywood icon Nana Patekar lauded Goans for their unity in celebrating festivals like nowhere else in India.
He was addressing a huge crowd who had assembled in Quepem to witness the Carnival parade late Sunday evening.
“My association with Goans started some 50 years back but surprisingly nothing has changed since then. It’s the same hospitality and togetherness among all communities and the best part is that no matter who’s festival it is, Goans from all religions meet each other to celebrate, exchange thoughts and enjoy like nowhere else in India,” said Patekar, the chief guest at the Quepem Carnival celebrations.
“Carnival is not a festival of Christians, Hindus or Muslims, it is our festival and as Indians, we must all participate, else there is nothing special in celebrating festivals.”
“The best part of Goa is its cosmopolitan system and I do hope the next time I can be invited to do some work and not just as the chief guest of a function,” Patekar added.
When Patekar was presented with a wooden carving of Lord Ganesh, he requested Dy CM and Quepem MLA Chandrakant (Babu) Kavlekar that he would be equally pleased if he is also presented with a carving of Lord Jesus Christ to keep in his house and hoped to be given a carving of Jesus Christ when he visited Quepem during Shigmo.
Although the Carnival parade started late as the floats came to Quepem after participating in the Margao parade, people waited patiently since 3.30 pm. Patekar even went around interacting with the revellers and posing for selfies and photos.
For the first time, the parade sponsored by the State government took place in Quepem, with 55 floats displaying various themes including 10 depicting the age-old traditions of Goa.
The parade began from Quepem police station with David Fernandes as King Momo and Saviana Fernandes as his Queen. The Quepem Carnival floats 2020 was organized under the banner of Nav Yug Vikas Manch.
