Essential Things to Know About Goa Carnival

Goa equals fun. Isn’t that true? Goa is better known as the party capital of India, but there are some deep-rooted cultural elements, influenced by Portuguese, that the tiny coastal state hasn’t let go of. One of these is the colorful and fun-filled Carnival, held in the month of February every year.  February is one of the best times to visit Goa, weather-wise too. The three-day Carnival sees visitors coming in not only from different parts of the country, but tourists from across the globe. When you’re in Goa for the Carnival, you can check out some of the other places to visit in Goa- charming churches, ancient temples and party-heavy beaches.

How did the whole Carnival idea even begin? The Carnival is believed to be a grand celebration with fun, food and the whole community coming together just before the 40-day Lent period in Christian tradition. The carnival was very popular in Rome and Greece, and subsequently gained momentum in Portugal as well. The Portuguese who ruled Goa for around 500 years introduced the concept to this Konkan state, and even today the Portuguese influence is apparent in the celebrations. What happens at the Carnival?

King Momo, who is traditionally the flamboyant King of Carnivals, kicks off the festivities in style. Once he gives the orders to “eat, drink and make merry”, you can expect all-out revelry, music, dance, yummy Goan food, masquerades, and much more fun things to do in Goa.  The processions are a riot of bright colors and peppy Spanish guitar sounds. You can see if the luck gods are smiling at you, by asking the fortune-tellers who throng the place. The celebrations continue for three days and three nights. This year, the Carnival will take place from the 9^th to the 12^th of February. Planning your trip:

Winter being the best time to visit Goa, this tourist-magnet sees just a brief respite from tourists in January, once the Christmas and New Year revelers have left. But the Carnival is a time when there are more tourists than ever. So it’s a good idea to book your travel and accommodation in Goa well in advance. There are a lot of nice homestays with friendly owners, so if you’re lucky you can experience staying in an authentic Goan home. So get away from the mundane, and wash down some tasty bebenca with a swig of oh-so-strong feni at the Goa Carnival.

• Bio
• Latest Posts

Nandini Muralidharan

Nandini Muralidharan is an engineer-turned-writer, possessive bibliophile and a travel junkie. She loves love collecting random bits of information about any place she visits, and weaving a story out of it. An obsessive photographer, she records any memory of a place from the beautiful Helsingor castle to the “Delizia icecream – keeps you tongue tied” signboard on the highway. Currently, she writes for WeAreHolidays.

Latest posts by Nandini Muralidharan (see all)

• Top 5 Waterfalls in India - February 9, 2021
• The Tulip Festival, Srinagar - February 6, 2021
• Street Food in Bangkok - February 6, 2021
• Ingo’s Saturday Night Bazaar, Goa - January 31, 2021
• Incredible India’s Top 3 ‘Incredibles’ - January 31, 2021
• Forts of Udaipur - January 29, 2021
• Essential Things to Know About Goa Carnival - January 29, 2021
• The Sky Bridge of Langkawi - January 25, 2021