February
heralds the carnival at Goa. For three days and nights, the legendary king
Momo takes over the state and the streets come alive with colour. The week
long event is a time of festivity.
It occurs on three days in
February or early March. Meant to be a festing-drinking-merrymaking orgy
just before the 40 days of Lent. It is Goa`s most famous festival and has
been celebrated since the 18th Century.
Huge parades throught
the cities are organised with bands, floats and dances and balls in the
evenings. The final day concludes with the famous red-and-black dance held
by the Clube National in Panajim.
The origins of carnival are
apparently the hedonistic feasts of ancient Rome and Greece. It made its
appearance in the Spanish and Portugese colonies, where it metamorphosed
into the very Latin singing - dancing- drinking bouts.
The
carnival is presided over by King Momo, who on the opening day orders his
subjects to party. Hotel bookings must be done in advance for carnival as
the festival attracts thousands of tourists
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