Goa ready to make way for King Momo in 2009

    Giant clowns, loud colours, water splashes, lipstick toting men masquerading as sexy women, clthing with colours in red, purple yellow, green and orange and you know that the Goan Carnival is here.

Goan streets will soon be transformed into abodes of fun and frolic and thronged by people from all over Goa and the world throwing balloons and splashing colour at each other with laughter and Goan songs in merry accompaniment.

Similar to carnival celebrations in recent years, Carnival in Goa is expectedly on modern festivity lines for Goans and tourists from all over the world with mammoth carnival parades packing overcrowded streets, music and dances galore besides the traditional Goan Khell-tiatrs all over Goa, international performances, street magicians and even a motorcross planned for this year.

Goa's premier waterfront, the mandovi is expectedly bound to be dressed up for the occasion in festive carnival decor with foodstalls dotting the promenade where stages will also be set up for performances by bands, cultural troupes and fashion shows.

Dances are part of the staple entertainment of Goa and this year is not going to be any different with dances lined up all over Goa. The sinquetim "Festa de leques"  south Goa's traditional carnival dance is already bracing itself for the occasion as is the Clube Nacional which has the traditional " Red and Black" dance at this time of the year.

The floats will however be the main draw for tourists form all parts of the world as also Goans who love to take part in the floats to add to the excitement and the revelry of Carnival. Panjim will witness the first parade on Saturday evening while at the same time a traditional band will move around the citry of Margao performing the Alvorada which will be like an announcement of the festivities lying ahead for the people of Margao. Meanwhile floats are expected to depict some very common problems affecting Goa in the whole festivities and issues such as garbage, megaprojects and pollution are bound to  find a platform through the float parade.

While Panjim, Margao, Vasco and Mapusa have been the regular haunts for the carnival floats, there have been new entrants in the space which includes Curtorim in south Goa and Candolim in the north besides many other villages also taking float parades traditionally.

So the whole of Goa is gearing up for the buzz of carnival for three days beginning the eve of Sunday 22nd February 2009 and winding up on Tuesday 24th February 2009 which would include everything to make the mood of Goa carnivalesque with salsa performances, manipuri acrobats, russian can can dancers, fashion shows, super motorcross, bands, fancy dress competitions, bollywood performances,musical shows, fishing contests, canoe races, beauty contests, konkani film screenings, spot singing contests, khell tiatrs, and lots of fun.