Goa Carnival – India’s own Mardi Gras

The Goa Carnival is an annual festival held from 6th to 9th February every year. This four-day carnival is a festival of dance, music, theatrical performances and various forms of entertainment. The history of the festival lies in the colonial era Goa when it was a Portuguese colony, and the colony of Goa developed their celebration to be held before Lent, which is a Christian time of giving up all luxuries and extravagances, hence the Goa carnival became a form of indulgence with celebrations before Lent.

In the present-day Goa, the Goa Festival influences a mix of Goan and Portuguese cultures. The Goa carnival is a ticket-free, open to all festival which attracts hundreds of thousands of domestic and international visitors annually. The entire State of Goa is decorated in bright colours, with significant celebrations taking place in Panjim, Margao and Vasco da Gama with a wide array of festivities, street performances, theatrical displays, fire-eaters, musical bands, dancers, acrobats and the most important, food. Food is such an essential part of the Goa Carnival that, it is kicked off by a Food and Cultural Event n the 8th February every year followed by an opening ceremony the next day.

Goa and the Goa Carnival provides travellers with a wide array of options, before, during and post the Goa Carnival. Some of the most recommended activities for travellers during the Goa Carnival are.