ORIGIN OF GOA CARNIVAL

Once, Goa carnival was a mood. It had no spectators and was strictly for participants. From dawn to dusk and back to dawn again, they sang and danced, changed costumes and partners and serenaded their namorados, girlfriends. Those who fell in love during carnival married after Easter.

During the ancient carnival authentic battles were fought between opposing army-like groups wherein the participants were not only young people but also prominent citizens. The Portuguese sailors from the fun ship Sado made the carnival scene even more picturesque. Adding to the charm were groups of singers and musicians with their guitars, mandolins and other musical instruments, singing fados along with other carnival tunes.

The carnival of those times was sometimes reduced to a 'mini-revolution', wherein masked bands entered the homes of friends and acquaintances-raiding their kitchens and taking the best food they could find there.

A decade later, the carnival took on a mildly violent nature. Instead of flowers and sweets, the ammunition turned out to be potatoes, rotten eggs, tomatoes and brinjals. The powder bombs (cocotes) used earlier were now made of spoilt flour and husk. The charm and elegance that characterized this festival gave way to a rough and crude display of fun.

For those who have never before experienced the Goan way of life, the Carnival comes as a big surprise, especially the capacity of the locals to sing and dance their way practically non-stop, through four nights and three days. They drink almost by the barrel and yet few show signs of drunkenness. Revelers greet each other with a full-throated "Viva Carnaval." At the end of it, one can see that fun in Goa has been-and is, and god willing, shall forever be-a very, very serious business.