> STREET CANAVAL IN GOA >>> The Goa Govt. has rightly decided to reduce funding for the carnaval >>> bash in Goa .It is wrongly presumed to be a Christian festival prior >>> to the period of lent and penance. It is the state that has exploited >>> this tradition by excessively allocating state resources to attract >>> the tourists . It has therefore, succeeded in creating an image of fun >>> and street revelry and by further sponsoring it in major towns and >>> cities of Goa Along with the carnaval, the otherwise quiet shigmo >>> celebration received a shot in the arm. In fact the shigmo parade >>> is artistic, elaborate in its display of mythical characters and >>> conveying a pure message of culture religious tradition of >>> significance .This custom and festival of sorts of merry making has >>> albeit benefited the hotel industry ,transport business, alcohol and >>> beverage manufacturers, traders et. al. It is perfectly justified >>> now, for the state to withdraw itself limiting public funding and >>> let the beneficiaries foot the bill. Of course, care must be taken >>> that it is not completely commercialized and there is an element of >>> culture and entertainment in a right proportion. The prices of all >>> daily commodities escalate to astronomical levels ,affecting the >>> locals at the time. For sometime the Catholic church asked the >>> faithful to disassociate themselves with it as totally unchristian >>> because of vulgarity displayed, attracting and corrupting young people >>> with vices of drugs and alcohol. It was a damper for a while. The >>> original carnaval was confined to villages only and mostly in the >>> south Goa It was time for country plays staged in different villages, >>> sometimes centralized through local contributions The use of cocotes >>> (powder missiles, and sprinkling of quality powder) was an annoyance, >>> tolerated in good spirit of fun. People used to dress colorfully, go >>> on serenading, wear masks, distribute sweets, also collect money by >>> sales. To unmask the weares, the strictly guarded secrecy of >>> individuals was a challenge enjoyed as fun. People flocked to this >>> entertainment of country plays for 3 days and spreading into late >>> nights to control outside crowds There were two famous dances in >>> south, Orlim, Navelim that were a huge draw and very popular >>> attractions .The govt. capitalized it as street tamsha on the lines of >>> carnaval in Brazil to exploit its potential for tourism purpose and >>> thus corrupted the original tradition by drawing the villagers on the >>> streets of towns, creating unprecedented traffic problems and crowd >>> management. The reign of King Momo and his decree unrestricted >>> merriment of food and drink was a small affair and limited to the city >>> of Panjim. The state by high jacking peoples simple , pure joy and >>> merriment has injected communal divide and portrayed the state as >>> having loose morals and dubious standards of living, where wine, women >>> and lasciviousness are the order of that season To days carnaval is >>> not a shadow of what it used to be and hope it will revert as people >>> festival without interference and exploitations as it was before >>> Nelson Lopes chinchinim 9850926276 >>> >>> pub in gomantak
