CARNIVAL OF THE GOOD OLD DAYS :D ELTRIN GOES BACK IN TIME

Every year with great pomp and show comes the most colorful and enthusiastic festival that is the carnival. Carnival is celebrated all over Goa. But what we see today is the Modern phase of this festival. Let us go to the yore and see how carnival was enjoyed by all the goans.

Though today we see that carnival is a festival of not only Christians but it has become of the masses. All sects of religions take active part in it. However it was not so years down the line. No doubt that the carnival came to Goa through the Portuguese. According to the scriptures of the catholic Bible, Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights before his death and on the third day he was resurrected. Thus the Catholic Church underwent a forty days of lantern period wherein all Catholics should repent and ask forgiveness for their sins. Thus during this forty days one should keep fast. He /she should not eat meat, drink liquor or make merry, no festivals and no colorful garments. Because one used to take such fast the church celebrated four days before Ash Wednesday to eat, drink and make merry. Thus the seed of carnival was sown.

During the early times of carnival khell tiatr’s were played in the villages. The batkars or the landlords used to hire a troupe to in act and the villagers came to see in his compound. Other than this some men used to dress like women also and move from door to door enacting a particular scene and the crowd used to follow them. Besides this Zagors ,Mando’s and such other folk dances were danced. Approximately the floats that we see today emerged in the 70’s. During that time it was mostly the cultural dances, and advertised floats. Like today Margao , Panjim , Vasco, Mapusa were the main centers where such floats were on parade.

As years passed gradual modern changes were seen. The cultural dances became rare and more advertised and general themes were paraded. Some of such were: a big fish, a ship, Teddy bear, ghosts etc. In recent years one can see vulgarity. Whole of the Brazilian carnival was imported to Goa including the clothing attire. In the name of carnival girls and boys started having sexual affairs. Many girls became victims of the men’s lusts. In certain cases girls were intoxicated and were taken to cheap hotels. Drugs and other immoral activities became common during this festival, and thus the church immediately stopped the celebration of carnival.

Though it was stopped by the church, the festival had become an inseparable part of the goans. Thus the entertainment society in collaboration with the tourism industry promoted and continued the celebration of this festival.