JAY JOSHI
In a bid to attract tourists to Goa, the government has announced Carnival dates in advance this year. Carnival is one of Goa’s most popular festivals, and the tourism industry banks heavily on the event for some much needed revenue. Like any other festival, Goa’s carnival has undergone a lot of evolution over the years. Beginning as a humble occasion of merry-making, the festival grew in scope, size, and pomp to become one of the major tourist attractions of Goa.
One of the key features of the Carnival are various floats that make up a major part of the parade along with the dancers in fabulous costumes. But in recent years, there has been a particular change in these floats. While the lead float of King Momo and his crew urges us to eat, drink, and be merry, some of the other floats in the parade spread the message of awareness about social and environmental problems that we face today.
To be honest, these floats bring a kind of seriousness to the whole affair, and in the middle of all the merriment, make the guests reflect on everything that is going wrong with our planet. What will the audience think about this?
“Yes, it’s becoming a bit serious. We see a lot of floats giving social messages, but I think this is a good change,” says Benedicta Nazreth from Saligao. “The fun indeed needs to be balanced with some serious messages. These messages could be spelt out in funny ways though”.
William Aguiar from Ponda also agrees with a curt remark. “Even when we are in the midst of merriment, we should not forget the issues that we are battling. The floats depicting serious themes remind us of the reality and keep us grounded. They serve a good purpose.”
“I think it’s good. The problems that we are facing today are so serious that even a moment of joy can be used to highlight them,” says Steven Gutkin, a US citizen who has made Goa his home and now resides in Dona Paula. “In fact, I would say such floats do not distract us from the joy, but add beauty to the festival. It’s a good opportunity to broadcast important local issues to the people who come to visit GOa from around India and the world.”
Truly, while we seek to lose ourselves in fun and frolic, we should not shut our eyes to the harsh reality that unfolds around us. That is perhaps the best message given by the spectacular Goa Carnival.
