By Our Special Correspondent

IT was carnival or “carnival” time in Goa anew and almost every carnival lover headed to capital town Panaji to catch a bit of the carnival spirit of times gone by! The Miramar Beach-Science Centre-Caranzalen stretch turned no-mo-zo (no vehicular traffic please, except bicycles). This year it was a very well organized carnival with visitors getting well-designed raised seating arrangements which offered both protection from the late afternoon sun as well as comfy seating space for grownups and children alike who wanted to watch the passing parade of some 50 floats go by in one spot and in peace.
Most children dragged their parents to the many vendors selling carnival masks, crazy colored wigs and fancy balloons…buy them a mask, wig, balloon and an ice-cream! Watch a Goan carnival and one pretty much treated to a mini presentation of modern-day Goa and its dilemmas. The majority of the floats this year were themed around wildlife (not including pet dogs and cows which are creatures of our urban scenario today) and the need to be eco-friendly on an urgent footing.
The folk dancing troupes were there but one memorable float depicted a fishing net cramped with empty pet bottles, focusing on the need to reduce and reuse plastics in our day-to-day lifestyles…while another float had a magnificent roaring tiger (“Please don’t take away my jungle habitat!”); indeed, there was much to provoke Goans into thinking anew about how to save Goa and Goykarponn for future returns like tourists continuing foreign and domestic continuing to seek a myriad holidays in Goa – without damaging the environment or upsetting niz Goenkars!
Judge for yourself in this pictorial presentation of Carnival 2019 in Panaji….