The many faces of Goa’s Festival of fun

The wide array of grotesque masks, pistols and other paraphernalia dangling silently at the local shop was a loud enough announcement of the approaching Carnival. In a time when life was mostly grim due to the lack of entertainment and other necessities, these festive items would make folks’ hearts melt as they visualised the three days of fun and frolic that lay ahead.Medium108406423 Sandwiched between months spent without much amusement and the 40-day Lenten period, Carnival – derived from ‘carni vale’, which means farewell to meat – offered them a brief spell of enjoyment. The festival of fun, unlike the commercialised government-sponsored float pageantry, had a unique flavour, spontaneity being its hallmark.Medium108406424 Masked men and youth in colourful outfits moved from door to door in villages and even urban areas, spreading good cheer. Others wielding water pistols or ‘cocotes’ (powder sachets), showered water and colour on one another as they soaked in the fun and merriment. Some threw tantrums at being roughed up, but they were momentary.Outlandish attire with conical hats or men dressing as women were amusing sights for local communities in a fun-filled atmosphere. No King Momo had to proclaim the decree of fun and merriment as people took to it on their own.Medium108406427 “It was innocent fun in the 1930s, 1940s, and even later. Many turned up in masks and carnivalesque attire and entered neighbours’ houses for the ‘assaltos’ (literally, assault) to play a merry prank on them. A tiatr at the church feast was the only entertainment, so everybody tried to squeeze out as much fun as possible at the Carnival (from Sunday, or even late Saturday, to Tuesday),” says 91-year-old Rafael Viegas of Curtorim.During Carnival, also called Intruz in some parts of Goa, the simple folk loved some fun and observed the Lenten period more seriously. “Those were the days when many avoided meat during the period of abstinence and Carnival offered them a chance to indulge in some merriment,” says Timoteo Fernandes, who played Goa’s first King Momo.Medium108406429 The masqueraders would trudge into neighbourhoods, selling lotteries or just greeting everyone with “Viva Carnaval” or sweeping the courtyards for a small reward. “The lotteries used to be priced at 50 paise or a rupee and the prizes – with a good profit margin for the masked seller – would be a pen, pencil, eraser or some other item,” recalls an old timer.Medium108406431 Children would tag behind the masked person, taunting him, or dousing him with water, or simply tattling about his identity to his neighbours, all in the spirit of fun. To these community practices, a tradition of annual dances was also added by organisers in places such as Navelim, Benaulim, Curtorim, Margao and Panaji.The long-time tradition of ‘khell’ or ‘fell’ (street plays) sustained the enjoyment, as troupes accompanied by musicians – with traditional brass and percussion instruments – walked about, their melodies propelling people out of their homes to encircle the performers.Medium108406432 Without curtains, the director’s whistle held the acts together. Earthy humour and sharp criticism were the essence of the ‘partes’ (plays) and even landlords (bhatkars) found themselves critiqued by the actors. The troupe had to compulsorily perform at every regedor’s (village headman) house before moving on.Medium108406435 The ‘fell’, which mirrored societal issues, have now also been hit by commercialisation, albeit due to overheads of expenditure on actors, musicians and transport. But they still survive, though the art form has partly evolved into khell tiatr, interspersed with songs separate from its main theme.Medium108406436 Then there were other traditions: An entertaining ‘contra dans’ in some places, bullock cart processions, and ‘Intruz’ of the Hindu community in Dongorim and Mandur, and also of tribal communities. Intruz has its roots in Shigmo, the age-old Hindu festival, as it has integrated from the latter processions of revellers singing, dancing and performing, says Pandurang Phaldesai, a reputed folklorist.Medium108406438 “This tradition of Intruz among the Catholic working class is still prevalent in a few villages of Quepem and Salcete,” says Phaldesai. The winds of change slowly impacted the various facets of traditional celebrations and the introduction of the floats pageantry in Panaji eroded it further. In the late sixties, probably in February 1967, the state tourism department organised the first float parade. Though only a few floats participated during the initial years, the event was a success till commercialisation crept in.Medium108406440 Consequently, over the past few decades, the emphasis has been on colourfully decorated floats, public processions of music, and lavishly attired dancers, says Phaldesai. “Costumes are made of fabrics, plastic, beads, feathers, colourful ribbons, mirrors, and shells. In short, Carnival has become synonymous with the float pageantry. The presentation is made to fit in with the culture of tourism, restricted to floats and musical nights that have overshadowed the traditional Intruz,” he adds.Medium108406442 The event, as one would expect, was eventually hit by criticism as scantily dressed women on floats and blatant advertising of products upset some sections of society. The pageantry itself came to a standstill during the language agitation in the 1980s, but was revived subsequently.Medium108406443 As of now, the more sober version of the ribald event of Brazil, which is more than 50 years old, has lapsed into a perfunctory celebration though tourists pour in to attend it. “People love the traditional Carnival. If the government projects our authentic culture and traditions in the floats for tourists, curbing religious themes and too much commercialism, people may show more interest in it like they did in the past,” says Timoteo.