This day is celebrated as the World Goa Day by the Goan diaspora across the globe as well as in Goa. It is an event that celebrates Goa’s culture. The very first event was held on August 20, 2000. Since then there has been no looking back.
August 20
Well, it was on August 20 in 1992 that Konkani was included in the Eight Schedule of the Indian Constitution. This meant Konkani was now one of the officially recognised languages of India. The Indian Government takes responsibility for development of languages included in the Eight Schedule.
Celebrating Goa
The day brings Goans, spread across the world, together in their respective places to celebrate their Goan identity. The celebrations center around the Goan language, traditions, music and cuisine. The initiative was first started by Rene Barreto.
The event is celebrated in places such as:
Goa, Canada (cities such as, Vancouver, Toronto, Quebec, Calgary, Montreal), United States (New York, LA, New Jersey, California, Houston ), Australia (Brisbane, Melbourne, New South Wales, Adelaide, Perth), New Zealand, Kenya, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Mozambique, Portugal, U.K, Spain, Germany, the Middle East and Pakistan.
The celebration may take place at different dates at different places even though August 20 is the official date. This is mainly due to conflicting schedules of the members. However, World Goa Day brings Goa to life in many parts of the world, reminding many of their motherland.
Image credit – www.dajiworld.com
