‘Carnival’, Goa’s exclusive domain; no other state can lay a claim to it or rather pull it off. But due to financial strain, the festival had lost some of its sheen over the past couple of years. In a bid revive the enthusiasm around Carnival 2016. The Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) has announced to provide financial assistance of 1 lakh at least to 20 floats under a project funded by the European commission.
A float is a decorated platform of a vehicle that depicts the cultural aspect of Goa like traditional dances, occupations etc. these floats also help to create awareness about the issues engulfing the Goan society.
The GTDC under the project ‘Destination Carnival’ is trying to up the ante by revitalizing the festival to attract more tourists than it already does. The festival receives a good response from across Goa.
To give an excellent opportunity to the participants, GTDC is working in association with Brouhaha International (organization based in Liverpool, United Kingdom) and Cape Town Carnival (South Africa). Select candidates will get an opportunity to travel to Cape Town and Liverpool for training under an exchange program.
The idea is to encourage co-operation and exchange of ideas between the three cities to bring forth a marvelous festival to its audience. The financial assistance is provided in lieu to give creativity a boost and up-grade the quality of the festival.
The four day festivities of the 2016 Goa Carnival is scheduled to start on the 14 of February 2016 concluding on the 17th February, 2016. Carnival is held in Panjim, Mapusa, Margao and Ponda.
Written by Shailesh Shriram Tanpure
